


Blossoming Venom

by AuntNaty



Category: K-pop, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, And now onto all the vampire related tags lmao, Angst, Asexual Character, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Consensual Blood Drinking, Cuddling, Dealing With Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Polyamorous Relationships, Romantic Soulmates, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, everyone is trying their best, this author is a mess, will add more tags if needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:49:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25557619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuntNaty/pseuds/AuntNaty
Summary: His agreement with Seungcheol was clear. If Chan ever hunted and killed a human there would be consequences, dire consequences. Obviously Jeonghan would never allow Chan to take the fall; as sire of the coven it would be his responsibility, his sin to bear.And so, as if divine providence, just as the clock had chimed half-past three,  Jeonghan smelled fresh human blood and heard Chan’s heart-wrenching sobs.Chan had attacked one of Seungcheol’s protegés.
Relationships: Boo Seungkwan & Chwe Hansol | Vernon & Lee Chan | Dino, Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Lee Chan | Dino, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Seokmin | DK, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 67
Kudos: 150





	1. These violent delights

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :D I've not written and posted something in sooooo long, but this idea was living rent-free in my head for TOO LONG. So, yeah. Have some of me being feral for vampires lmao  
> Also!! This is a wip (work in progress), so the tags/warnings might change as I go on (I have no idea what I'm doing :D)  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! :D

Yoon Jeonghan couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t a creature of the night.

At any given point, he felt as if he’d always been there; wandering the world like a long shadow; always changing and impossible to get a hold of. He never pondered about how he must drink from the living so he could continue his _not so_ living existence.

Jeonghan always tried to keep up with humanity. Their customs, their language, their technology. Humans were incredibly inventive and seemed to hate standing still, and maybe because their life span was so fleeting - in comparison to that of a creature of the night -, they seemed to be constantly creating, advancing.

Inevitably (Jeonghan thought many centuries later), humanity advanced enough to become aware of his kind. Jeonghan knew how humans hated the different, the unusual, the _unnatural_. So he wasn’t surprised when humans began hunting those like him, hoping to erase a _monster_.

Jeonghan found he didn’t care about what humans thought of (or called) him. He’d keep his distance and mingle only when necessary; remembering to never flaunt or expose his nature unnecessarily. However, eternity seemed to be missing something. Jeonghan would find himself lingering around certain humans throughout the centuries, like a moth to a flame.

His greatest surprise was finding that the feeling was mutual. These humans would also flock to him and even though Jeonghan had his reservations (due to past experiences), they’d always manage to get around his defenses, establishing themselves in his heart. That’s when he understood he couldn’t let them go, as humans’ fragile lives tended to. Jeonghan, so, discovered there was a way to make more creatures like him. 

As the years became decades, and decades became centuries, Jeonghan didn’t walk the earth alone anymore. There weren’t many of them, as the bigger the number of _the different_ became, humanity grew more uneasy, and Jeonghan had promised himself to never allow his ilk to be hunted and persecuted as he had so many times before.

He taught his family how to remain hidden in plain sight; how to mimic humanity effortlessly. Jeonghan found that the others were much better at it than him, after all, they’d been human themselves before changing. His heart felt at ease, watching his beloved fledglings mingle amongst humans without failure. 

In contemporary times, they all lived comfortably together, looking after one another.

That’s when this story starts.

Jeonghan was out in one of his walks (not hunting, as a regular supply of packaged blood from willing donations were more than enough to keep his family, _his coven_ , well-fed), observing the night sky and listening to all the little critters that, much like them, made the dark hours their home.

It all had seemed like just another uneventful night until there was a rustle in the woods around him, accompanied by the very telling signs of a human. It all happened so quickly; caught off-guard, Jeonghan found himself being tackled to the floor by said human, a sharp and burning sensation running through his side.

The human had just stabbed him. As Jeonghan was trying to process the situation, he noticed how skilled the human was at pinning him down, they were also dressed in some form of gear, thick and sturdy garment covering them from top to bottom.

Except for his head. 

As Jeonghan struggled their eyes met. This human was striking: large hooded dark eyes stared him down, their nose was long and elegant, their lips, full and red (probably from getting bitten as a nervous gesture). It all organized perfectly in a squared face framed by dark silver hair. Had them not been holding him down, Jeonghan would _surely_ have liked a word. Unfortunately, he wasn’t about to succumb to some random attacker, no matter how beautiful.

In a moment he was pinned down by the human; in the next, the positions were reversed. Jeonghan straddled the human, holding them down with his full weight and will, one of his hands around the human’s throat squeezing enough to keep them in place, but not to suffocate. His other hand worried at the object buried deep on his side. With a swift move, Jeonghan removed the serrated knife that was now completely covered in sticky and fragrant dark blood.

He kept the knife and stared the human down. Their throat bobbed a few times as they tried to swallow around the other’s hold. Besides that, they weren’t doing much. After a few minutes of strangled silence - the only noises being the quick rhythm of the human’s heart and their labored puffs of breath. Seeing that the standstill was going nowhere, Jeonghan spoke in a low voice:

“What do you think you are doing?”

His question was met with stony silence, but the human’s eyes met his. There was so much emotion swimming in those dark eyes; none of which were fear. This human knew exactly what Jeonghan was, and given their positions, seemed to be only waiting for the other to tear him apart. Jeonghan’s eyes narrowed and he bent down further, bringing his face closer to the human’s.

“Do you suppose yourself as some kind of ‘hunter’? I’ve ever only heard rumors about you in this day and age… I guess it was silly of me to think we wouldn’t cross paths. Now, where do we go from here?” Jeonghan mused to himself, pushing the human’s dark fringe to the side with the tip of the knife.

“I’m pretty sure we both know where this is going, _Yoon Jeonghan_.” The hunter spat, wryly.

 _His_ voice was deep and labored, given that Jeonghan was holding him just a little short of actively chocking. He noticed the use of his full name but wasn’t too worried. After all, given that the hunter had attacked him, he probably knew, at the very least, the name of his target.

“My dearest, if I intended to end your life I would’ve done so quite a while ago. So, allow me to enlighten you on the fact that I do not wish to harm you, rest assured. My kin and I do not need to kill for our nourishment, and, believe it or not, I was simply taking a stroll when you so _rudely_ jumped me and attempted to kill me.” Jeonghan said, making sure to let as much condescension seep into his voice.

“Well, if you don’t kill me now when you have the chance I’ll make sure you’ll regret it .” The man rasped, anger taking over.

Jeonghan smiled openly, long, sharp, gleaming fangs in full display. The hunter was squirming now, so Jeonghan increased the pressure on his trachea a bit more, causing him to gasp and choke, before regaining his composure.

“Now, now. Are you sure you could manage to kill me? If you could I am quite sure I wouldn’t be trapping you right now, would I? Did you forget where the heart is supposed to be? Oh, I forget; your people think we _don’t_ have hearts, isn’t that right?” Jeonghan knew he was humiliating the human. He could hear the blood all but boil in the other’s veins. He also heard something to his side: the hunter reaching for another blade sheathed on his thigh.

Before he could strike, Jeonghan was off him in a blur. The hunter stood as fast as they could, holding the knife up in a defensive stance. 

And so the two were face-to-face.

Deep down Jeonghan knew he should’ve killed the hunter. He was too close to their home and they had a new fledgling to look after. Chan was adapting well, but there was always a possibility for a mishap. That’s why they had opted for a large house on the outskirts of the city: close enough so they could take part in human society, but far enough so that they wouldn’t be easy to corner or attack.

Nevertheless, Jeonghan was intrigued. The hunter’s poise and strength showed he wasn’t some newbie; he was calloused. That also, unfortunately, meant he probably had amassed a lot of resentment towards Jeonghan’s kin. _Vampires_ , they were more recently called.

The hunter’s features suggested he was in his mid-twenties, which softened Jeonghan’s heart again. Neither moved to further the conflict, leading to the vampire sighing loudly (whether from amusement or exasperation was impossible to tell).

“Why don’t we make a deal, then? I’m sure you have a team or something to come back to, correct? Hunters flock together even more than regular humans, don’t look so aghast that I would know. 

I also have a coven to return to, and I do not wish for an entire sect of hunters to come after them because of a desire to avenge their superior. As such, let me propose this: we won’t interfere with you and your companions, as long as you do the same. What say you?”

The human seemed frozen in place. Jeonghan could see the cogs turning behind the other’s eyes as he didn’t refuse the proposal immediately. After quite a while of pregnant silence, the human responded:

“And I should just take your word for it? What is it worth?”

“What would you like as a sign of my good faith then?” Jeonghan asked. He could tell the human was _trying_ to trust him. However, the question brought even more confusion to the human’s expression.

 _What_ could _he give him?_ The vampire thought to himself. They’ve just met, didn’t know much ( _if anything_ ) about each other. It then hit Jeonghan what he had to do. He reached for his neck, opening the clasp of the old gold chain he had there. He couldn’t remember _not_ having the accessory. At the end of it was an empty locket; Jeonghan couldn’t remember if there had ever been anything in it, but he’d never felt like anything was missing either.

After examining the object a little, he looked up and found the hunter studying him carefully. Jeonghan began to slowly make his way closer, noticing how the human’s body went rigid out of training.

“This has always been with me… I know you have no reason to trust me, but I do hope you’ll accept this as a sign of good faith that we can coexist, and that I’ll make sure no harm will come to you or your associates.” The vampire offered the necklace to the man, as the two locked eyes once again.

It seemed like ages passed between them before the hunter gingerly accepted the item. Jeonghan felt like something had dislodged from his heart, but it didn’t scare him. Maybe it was the way the hunter held onto the necklace with precise care as if it would turn to dust from the smallest amount of force. He smiled to himself.

“Very well, I accept your proposal, Yoon Jeonghan. I hope I won’t come to regret this later… Oh, and you can keep that knife as my compromise.” The hunter said with a resigned expression.

Jeonghan nodded his head in agreement, an easy smile spreading across his lips.

“May I ask your name, dearest hunter?” The vampire asked, his smile widening.

“Seungcheol. Choi Seungcheol.” The hunter asked, rolling his eyes at the pet name.

“Well then, it’s been a pleasure Seungcheol-ssi. I do hope we may meet at a more agreeable situation next time.”

“You wish.” The hunter muttered under his breath, but Jeonghan heard him just fine.

They began to walk away at the same time, never turning their backs until there was a large distance between them. Seungcheol jumped back into the woods and Jeonghan listened for his quick and practiced steps until he couldn’t. Only then the vampire turned on his heels and made his way home.

*

For five years their agreement worked perfectly. Jeonghan and Seungcheol had also become closer, their relationship flourishing into a friendship. They’d never met each other’s family or friends, but they’d always talk about them to the other.

That’s why that night broke Jeonghan’s heart in so many more ways.

It was around three in the morning. The coven was lounging in the chairs and sofas of the TV room. Jeonghan sat on the bigger sofa with Seokmin’s head on his lap, running his fingers through his fledgling’s fluffy brown hair, while reading from his tablet in his other hand. Soonyoung was sprawled on the floor playing with his Switch. Wonwoo was napping on the other sofa, earbuds still on his ears.

Joshua and Jihoon were out working in the records label they’d set up a couple of years prior. The youngest, Chan, was out for a walk. 

The young man had been turned for only ten years, and still had some young vampire behaviors Jeonghan wished to work through before fully integrating him in the human world. Albeit his concerns, he trusted Chan enough to let him go out on his own for walks.

Nevertheless, that night he’d felt uneasy. Seokmin had woken up screaming, only calming down after Jeonghan and Soonyoung managed to assure him that everything (and _everyone_ ) was okay.

Jeonghan should have known better. Seokmin had a very sensitive intuition, and could even predict certain events. Each of them had some kind of ability developed after turning. When Seokmin finally calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence, he muttered something about blood, _a lot_ of blood.

Violent nightmares were one thing; however, the guttural fear that Seokmin’s eyes and entire body reflected, told Jeonghan this was something _else_.

Yet, he chose to ignore it.

When Chan asked to go out Jeonghan hesitated for a heart-beat, then agreeing easily, asking only that his fledgling be careful and returned before dawn. Chan’s smile pushed his worries even further aside. He loved each of his fledglings as his children, yet Chan was the one that made him the weakest.

Soonyoung and Joshua were always joking about how Chan could set the world on fire and Jeonghan would just smile and ruffle his hair as he _barely_ scolded him. Jeonghan himself wondered, somewhat unsettled, just how true that was.

Chan’s turning had been messy. Jihoon had found this filthy, beaten up young man in an alleyway when returning from the hospital with a new batch of blood. The short vampire stopped on his tracks as he heard a broken, chocked up sound, and found the crumpled from which it came from.

The always calm and somewhat lethargic Jihoon arrived at the house in less than thirty minutes (when it would normally take a little over an hour), all but kicking the doors down and screaming for Jeonghan. He held the human in his arms as carefully as possible, and when the others got to them, they were shocked into horrified silence.

Chan was in bad shape. He would’ve been dead in a couple of hours if Jihoon hadn’t found him. His heart-rate was too slow, his breathing, too labored and short. They had to act quickly, which they did. Wonwoo helped to bring the boy to the bedroom on the ground floor, while Seokmin and Soonyoung gathered utensils to help both clean and examine the young human.

Jeonghan sat by the bed, listening to the boy’s slowing heartbeat and the way his chest stuttered rather than going up and down smoothly. Seokmin and Soonyoung returned and they all helped in removing some of the thorn clothes and grime.

The boy was running a fever, his whole body was contracting from pain. He gasped for air a couple of times and then opened his eyes, taking in his strange surroundings, as well as the strange people all around him.

“Hey, can you hear me?” Jeonghan asked in the softest voice, pushing the matted hair away from the boy’s eyes.

“Yes… Who are you? Where am I? I-I…” the boy started coughing again, and this time blood welled in his lips.

“Shhh, you are safe now, we are not going to hurt you. Your condition is too critical to even attempt to take you to a hospital. However, I can save you if you wish.”

The boy looked directly at Jeonghan. He understood what he was being offered and seemed to make his decision as soon as he was done coughing more blood.

“Please… Ple-Please help me.”

“It will be over soon, once you wake up again, this pain will be no more and you will be born anew as a creature of the night.” Jeonghan leaned down, making the boy close his eyes before sinking his fangs deep into his neck.

Chan woke up three nights later. He could only recall being brutally beaten by his drunken step-father and being kicked down the stairs to their apartment, he then managed to walk a little before crumpling down in the alleyway Jihoon had found him. He was only 22.

*

He’d been the youngest Jeonghan had ever turned. Nevertheless, he’d fit in perfectly, working through his new self with confidence and pride. The only thing about Chan that was somewhat of a problem was his instincts.

Chan was the book definition of the perfect predator humans made vampires to be. He was swift, light on his feet, and _never_ missed his prey. However, he couldn’t hunt anymore as Jeonghan and the others had in the beginning; the times were different, and hunters were everywhere.

The compromise Jeonghan had made was to allow the youngest to hunt animals he found in the forest and feed on them if he so wished. Humans never seemed to care about wildlife as much as they did about their own. Which Jeonghan could understand to an extent.

His agreement with Seungcheol was clear. If Chan ever hunted and killed a human there would be consequences, _dire_ consequences. Jeonghan would never allow Chan to take the fall; as the sire of the coven, it would be his responsibility, his sin to bear.

And so, as if divine providence, just as the clock had chimed half-past three, Jeonghan smelled fresh _human_ blood and heard Chan’s heart-wrenching sobs. They all but jumped to stand, alert; just before Chan opened the doors and walked in cradling a human’s body. A human who just so happened to be wearing the same uniform Seungcheol had always worn.

Chan had attacked one of Seungcheol’s protegés.


	2. The horrors you have commited are not who you are

Everything slowed to a halt. Jeonghan took in the scene unfolding before him: Chan clutching onto the body of Seungcheol’s protegé, bloody tears flowing unbidden from the young vampire’s eyes, mixing with the drying blood on the rest of his face and neck. Jeonghan did not fail to notice that the human’s neck had been mauled; a significant part of it missing.

All of a sudden, they jumped into motion. Jeonghan got to Chan and eased him into releasing the human's body, while Seokmin and Soonyoung went to hold the youngest, his legs giving out. Chan kept crying and began curling on himself. 

Jeonghan could feel the remorse and guilt coming off him in waves. The only thing that kept him from going to his fledgling was a gurgled gasp from the young human in his arms. _He’s still alive…_ Jeonghan was dumbfounded. You’d think someone missing a portion of their neck and shoulder would be beyond saving, but the young hunter begged to differ.

“Can you hear me? It breaks my heart that this is how we’ve met, but I can still help you if that’s your wish.” The vampire’s voice was calm and grounding, and even though the human’s eyes were begging to glaze over, he managed to nod his head and uttering a broken _yes, please. I don’t want to die_.

Jeonghan acted fast. The human’s upper body was soaked in blood, his heart and breathing dangerously slow. As gently as he could, Jeonghan bit down on the non-ruined side of the man’s neck and drank for a few minutes. Chan’s crying and the other’s gentle reassurances were barely audible on his peripheral. Once he drank enough, he tore through his own wrist and helped the hunter drink.

Everything was so desperate and rushed; Jeonghan was sure that, could his heart beat, it would’ve been going off then. Once the man had had enough, his eyes closed, his breathing and heart-rate coming to a deafening stop. Now, it was all up to the hunter’s own will, aided by Jeonghan’s blood. There was nothing else to be done.

The eldest gently eased the human on to the marbled floor and after an excruciating couple of minutes, he looked over to his coven. Chan was still hiccuping into Soonyoung’s chest, Seokmin running a hand up and down the younger’s back in soothing motions. Wonwoo was looking directly at Jeonghan, trying to keep his expression guarded, but the elder knew him too well; Wonwoo was as scared as the rest of them.

Soonyoung looked over after a beat, breaking the moment with a question they were all asking themselves:

“What now?”

 _What now?_ Jeonghan didn’t know how to answer. He looked down at the dead hunter. Even covered in blood he was beautiful: his face was long and structured, long slight nose, thin lips, and almond-shaped eyes. They had a deep and warm brown color before, the same as his short and fluffy hair, and Jeonghan couldn’t help but wonder if they’d change at all.

Turning sometimes had aesthetic effects in people; their eyes and hair could lighten up to an icy-white color. It had happened to Soonyoung and Jihoon: they’d had dark brown hair and now it was platinum blond.

Joshua had lighter hair from the beginning and it hadn’t changed. Wonwoo’s turned out an almost lilac color and Seokmin’s had gone from a dark brown to a lighter one. Jeonghan’s own had always been platinum blond with icy-blue eyes to match.

He’d wondered if the change happened so they would better resemble one another, symbolizing their connection as sire and fledglings. Whatever the case, their appearance was of little consequence in the end.

Jeonghan worked his shoulders and looked over at his fledglings.

“Well, now there’s only one thing we _can_ do. We must call Seungcheol and deal with this situation accordingly.” He said in a tired voice.

The others flinched at the mention of the lead hunter. Jeonghan wondered if their wariness came from the fact that Seungcheol was a hunter or if it was more because they’d fought a few years back. Jeonghan had never tried to make the hunter “scarier” when he’d talk about him, he was just honest; the honest truth was that Seungcheol _was_ an excellent hunter with a large kill count. His fledglings had only seldom met hunters throughout their lives, as such they probably harbored a preconstructed and overly dramatic concept of what a hunter was and how they acted.

Jeonghan himself had never been _scared_ of Seungcheol; he’d been guarded and careful, surely, but that was mostly because of his coven. When it was just the two of them, Jeonghan felt they stood at equal footing, once you got to know him better, Seungcheol was quite reasonable ( _and interesting_ , in Jeonghan’s perspective).

However, they’ve never been in this situation before. Jeonghan knew Seungcheol cared about his team just as much as he cared about his coven. The balance had been tipped. Chan had all but killed one of the hunter’s teammates and Jeonghan had turned him.

He was at a loss. He had no idea of how Seungcheol would react, he’d surely want reparations; probably Chan’s own life in exchange. Jeonghan knew he couldn’t allow that, his heart sunk with the realization that he might finally meet his end to protect one of his own. If that would really be the case, then he had no regrets; as much as it saddened him to think about leaving his fledglings and facing his final death, the wish to protect them was stronger.

Joshua and Soonyoung would look after the others - even their newest addition. Yes. He had raised them well, they could look after themselves and one another. There was nothing to worry about.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Jeonghan.” Wonwoo all but hissed. “You’re not going to sacrifice yourself for Chan’s or any of our sakes. If that hunter wants any of us dead, well, he’ll have to fight for it and we won’t just stand there waiting for the ax to swing.”

Jeonghan smiled sadly.

“I have a compromise with Seungcheol, love. We promised to stay out of the other’s way as long as we didn’t kill any humans in the area. So now, not only has a human been killed, but the human was also one of Seungcheol’s own; had it been the other way around, wouldn’t you want retribution in blood?

“As much as I would like to believe that Seungcheol and I have reached a friendly point, I can’t hope that he won’t be beyond irate at the death of one of his protegés. I will face whatever punishment he sees fit. As the leader of the coven, it is my responsibility.”

Wonwoo was speechless. His brows were furrowed, however, he didn’t argue further. Jeonghan sighed and turned to Seokmin.

“Call Joshua and Jihoon back, once they are here I will contact Seungcheol myself. You are _not_ to intervene in our discussion, understood?” His voice left no home for questioning.

The others nodded begrudgingly. Chan had mostly calmed down, only sniffling every now and then, still clinging to Soonyoung. The two got up together and the older took them to his room on the second floor. Jeonghan did not miss how Chan buried his face deeper into the older’s chest as they passed by the body on the floor.

Seokmin went to retrieve his phone and call the others as Jeonghan requested. And then there was just Jeonghan, Wonwoo, and the hunter’s dead body.

After a while, Wonwoo got up and went to his own room, his frustration more than obvious. Seokmin reported back that Joshua and Jihoon were on their way. And so, Jeonghan finally moved, lifting the dead man’s body off the floor, to take him into one of the spare bedrooms. The marble flooring was filthy with dark patches of dried blood.

 _There will be no time to prepare Seungcheol before breaking the news_ , Jeonghan thought sadly. Being as old as he was, death was a constant in his life; nevertheless, he knew just how hard humans suffered with it… Just imagining Seungcheol’s heartbreak was crushing enough; Jeonghan had no idea what he would do when they were face-to-face.

He gently laid the young man in the spare bedroom’s bed and then went to retrieve some towels and hot water. The least he could do was remove most of the gore and carnage still clinging to the human’s skin. 

His mind was blank, mostly. Jeonghan always found himself locking away pieces of himself so he could focus better and act objectively. His fledglings hated when he did that. However, when one has lived for almost a thousand years, it was hard not to cut away what was too painful or sentimental. It was quite a effective - albeit harmful -, coping mechanism.

Jeonghan carefully went over the young man’s wounds, cleaning them as well as he could. His neck had the worse of it, of course. He was morbidly impressed by just how strong Chan was; it looked as if a wild animal had grabbed onto the man’s throat and tore a piece of it off during the struggle. Jeonghan began to wonder just who the human _was_. 

Not too long after he finished cleaning the other up, he heard Joshua and Jihoon entering the vestibule. Their voices were hushed as they moved to the living room and then Joshua gasped, probably seeing all the dried blood and grime on the floor. When they called for him, Jeonghan just said he was in the spare bedroom.

Joshua froze on the threshold when he saw the body on the bed, Jihoon by his side was just as stunned.

“By the gods, what the hell happened?!” Joshua exclaimed.

Jeonghan almost let out a manic laugh.

*

After telling Joshua and Jihoon all that had transpired in the last couple of hours, Jeonghan retired to his own bedroom to prepare himself for the storm that was still to come. He showered and changed into new clothes: fitted black pants and a white oversized button-up shirt.

He reached for his phone which laid on his vanity, selecting Seungcheol’s contact. After a few seconds, the hunter answered, already sounding a bit exasperated.

_Oh, this is going absolutely wonderfully, isn’t it?_

“Jeonghan? Is it important? Sorry, but Vernon hasn’t returned from his rounds and we can’t find him anywhere, so I--”

“We’ve found him, Seungcheol. He’s here.” Jeonghan felt a knot forming in his throat as the words struggled out.

“ _What?!_ What do you mean you _found_ him?! Jeonghan you don’t mean--”

“Come over and I’ll explain everything, and please do be careful on your way over.”

“ _JEONGHAN--_ ” The vampire ended the call.

This shouldn’t be something discussed over the phone. _So his name is Vernon_ , Jeonghan thought. Seungcheol was already riled up since the young man hadn’t returned, and now Jeonghan would have to tell him that he’d turned him into one of them. There wasn’t much else to do if not wait for Seungcheol - and his entire sect, even -, to arrive and confront him.

Jeonghan looked over his reflection one last time before exiting the room. He was met by Joshua, Jihoon, and Wonwoo. He lifted a perfect eyebrow in question.

“Will you wait for the hunters with me?” he asked.

“Of course we will. We can’t just sit in our bedrooms and wait while they maul you to death.” Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“I don’t think they’d try to kill me in my own living room, but your concern is appreciated. Nevertheless, as I have said: you are not to interfere with this. If I am to allow you to join me, I need you to promise that.”

“So you’re saying that if the hunters _do_ fight you we can’t help? Even if you’re outnumbered?” Jihoon’s outrage was palpable.

“Yes. I do not any of you being hurt because of this, it’s my fall to take.”

“ _Bull-fucking-shit_ Jeongahn, and you know that. We will only watch if _they_ only watch, alright? And stop with this martyr persona, it doesn’t look good on you.” Wonwoo was fuming.

Joshua only watched on, however, Jeonghan could tell the three had talked previously and were on the same page about what they wanted to do. He loved his coven so much and understood their worry, still, he would like to keep them from any further harm to yet come from this mess.

“Very well then. They shouldn’t take long.” The eldest sighed, though he smiled endearingly at them.

The four vampires went down to the living room, Jeonghan not failing to notice that the floor had been cleaned; not only that but everything seemed to gave been put back in its place. Jeonghan’s heart warmed a bit. They all sat in the largest sofa and waited.

*

Jeonghan heard them before the knock on the door. He motioned for the others to stay put and went to open the door. To his absolute shock, Seungcheol stood _alone_ and drenched (Jeonghan vaguely remembered hearing rain earlier, and, as it turned out, it was still pouring outside) on his doorstep. The hunter’s car was parked in the driveway, no one waiting in it. Seungcheol had truly come alone.

“Good evening, Seungcheol, please come in.” Jeonghan moved to the side allowing him in, the hunter staggered a bit in his movements, his anxiety fully on display.

“Where is he Jeonghan, please, what happened? Is he hurt? Is he… I-Is he?” Seungcheol trailed off as he took his boots off. His chest was heaving, his breathe short as if he’d run the whole way to the house.

 _Dead. Is Vernon dead?_ Seungcheol couldn’t even bring himself to voice the question, but Jeonghan could understand him just fine.

“Come, he’s this way,” Jeonghan said as gently as he could, taking the other by the arm since the hunter seemed about to pass out.

Seungcheol just nodded and let himself be guided. All the while, the other three vampires watched the scene completely speechless. Jeonghan paid them no mind and took Seungcheol to the bedroom he’d taken Vernon a few hours prior. When he opened the door, the hunter froze. After a few too-long seconds, he moved almost mechanically to stand next to the bed, falling to his knees as he clutched one of Vernon’s hands in both of his own.

Centuries had passed Jeonghan faster than those few minutes of silence. Seungcheol was shaking, tears falling from his eyes silently. The vampire was at a loss of what he should do. Had it been one of his fledglings, Jeonghan would’ve hurried to their side and try to soothe them accordingly. However, this was Seungcheol; as much as his heart was breaking for him, Jeonghan wouldn’t dare to step in.

“Did you do it?” Seungcheol rasped, breaking the silence.

“Yes, I turned him. His wound was grievous, so it will probably take a few nights for him to rise.” Jeonghan sighed, answering truthfully.

“Of course you _turned_ him, I asked if you _killed_ him.” The hunter’s tone was harsh, finally showing the anger Jeonghan had been expecting.

The vampire thought about how he’d answer this question. He could lie and say it had been him who hurt Vernon… However, Seungcheol would see right through him, and that would only make the hunter even more upset.

“It was my youngest. When he brought Vernon here there wasn’t much that could be done to keep him alive.” Jeonghan’s voice was leveled.

“ _How_ did this happen? _Why_ did your little _monster_ attack Vernon out of nowhere?! He knew not to engage with any vampires on the woods because you and I had a _deal_ , so I can’t even begin to understand why Vernon is dead right now.” Seungcheol spat the words.

It was jarring; Jeonghan hadn’t heard that tone form the other since the first time they’d met. The worst of it all: Jeonghan couldn’t even chide him for it. Seungcheol looked at him then and the vampire had to force himself not to look away; there was so much hurt and confusion in those eyes, the steady fire Jeonghan was used to seeing had been extinguished completely. They were dark, willing the other to fall in.

Still, the vampire held his ground.

“I will take full responsibility for what happened. Whatever punishment you see fit I will meet head-on.” Jeonghan said, meeting Seungcheol’s unyielding gaze.

The hunter sighed and let out a strained laugh. He shook his head and looked at the vampire once more.

“There is nothing to be done, Jeonghan. You turned Vernon with his consent, right? Don’t worry I know you enough to know you’d never turn someone against their will or without explicit consent. So, yeah. As much as I would like nothing more than to end your fledgling where he stands, I know nothing good would come from it.” Seuncheol sounded exhausted then.

Jeonghan was speechless at that. He could hear the others just outside the room, their own nervousness hanging heavy in the air. Seungcheol stood up, carding his hand through Vernon’s hair affectionately.

“I can only hope you’ll look after Vernon. I took him into the sect after he showed up saying his parents had been killed by vampires and he had nowhere to go. Even so, he never held that against any of his targets… He’d say: _well, they didn’t do it, did they? And I don’t think my parents would want me wasting away in search of revenge. You shouldn’t put an entire group of individuals in a tiny box labeled ‘MURDERS’ because of what some of them did._

This guy always had a much better head than me. And it’s so fucking ironic that he ended up killed by a vampire _and_ got turned into one. Honestly, Vernon wouldn’t want me to do anything against you _or_ the one that did all this. He’s just that nice.”

Seungcheol sounded completely endeared - if not a little exasperated -; even Jeonghan was beginning to warm up to Vernon from the way the other had just talked about him. When Seungcheol looked at him, he looked completely drained. All the anger bleeding out of him by the seconds.

“Well, I guess I will just go then. It’s better for him to stay around his peers for now, right? Just… Call me? When he wakes up? The others will want to know that he’s fine.”

“Of course. And you - _any of you_ \- are welcome to come and visit him once he awakens.” Jeonghan felt his heart warm, a smile making its way across his face.

The hunter graced him with a tired smile and a nod. They exited the room (the other vampires nowhere to be seen) and made their way back to the living room and the vestibule. Seungcheol put on his boots and then just stood there for a minute before turning to Jeonghan and deadpanning:

“I knew you’d do anything for your coven, but I wasn’t expecting you to suggest to take the sanction in their place.”

Jeonghan considered him for a moment before answering:

“They are my responsibility, _my family_. If it meant protecting them, I’d lay down my life in a heartbeat.”

The two just stood there for a moment. It was just like five years ago; the two of them always ended up meeting in the middle one way or another. Somehow they’d built enough mutual respect to not assume the worst of the other. Seungcheol knew Jeongahn wouldn’t just turn Vernon without the young man’s consent; just as Jeonghan knew Seungcheol would firstly take into consideration the Academy’s rules and sanctions on vampires. 

Although his final decision to not do anything shocked Jeonghan at first, it then dawned on him how much Seungcheol considered his protegés feelings, as well as Jeonghan’s integrity. The vampire had underestimated the human, leaving a weird twisting in his stomach.

Seungcheol finally moved to leave and Jeonghan opened the door for him. Before the hunter moved onto the step, the vampire said:

“I give you my word I will look after Vernon, for as long as needs or wishes me to.”

The hunter turned to him and did something that knocked the air out of Jeonghan’s lungs, even though he’d never needed to breathe: the man smiled genuinely, simply saying:

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheol makes me so soft T^T  
> 


	3. We are unusual and tragic and alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To celebrate Cheol's bday I decided to post this chapter today uwu  
> Hope y'all like it!

_It always starts with darkness._

_A grounding, albeit terrifying, silence, and the all-consuming dark._

_There is no self, there is no other._

_Then, there’s a spark and it all blossoms into light and sound._

Vernon came to with a strangled scream locked in his throat. As he tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, he instead started heaving for breath. His entire body was shaking with effort, all his senses overwhelmed. He tried holding onto something, but the sheets around him ripped as soon as he grasped them, soon he could feel his nails digging into the mattress bellow.

He couldn’t tell how long it had been; seconds? Minutes? _Hours_? Either way, once an eerily calm began to settle over his nerves, blanketing him, Vernon chocked a few more times, coughing dryly, before calming down. The first thing he noticed was that he was in an unknown location, the second thing was that despite everything from earlier, his heart wasn’t hammering in his chest - actually, it wasn’t even _beating_.

A knowing dread began to settle, then.

His memory slowly provided him with what had happened that lead to this: walking around in the woods during his night rounds, a rustle in the foliage, something grabbing him by the neck with enough strength to outright rip it from his shoulders, something sharp sinking into his neck, and blinding, searing pain following. After, there were only flashes, accompanied by a soft voice telling him it’d be okay.

He’d known he was dying, but he couldn’t accept it. So when the soft voice had asked him if he wanted it to save him, he’d all but begged for it. He didn’t want to die, even though a voice in his head was screaming to _not_ accept the offer ( _t_ _he voice sounded just like Seungcheol_ , he thought).

Vernon reached for his neck, finding only smooth skin - although a bit tender. He then looked at his hands: his nails were longer, its ends now razor-sharp. Vernon had chosen this; even after dedicating ten years to hunting the worst of their kind, Vernon had chosen to become one of them.

He was now a vampire.

Vernon could only exasperatedly laugh while running his hands through his hair. He looked around at the room and then the mess he’d made of the bed. He didn’t even know where he was. He knew Yoon Jeonghan’s coven lived around the woods, but if he was in said estate, did it mean that one of Jeonghan’s fledglings had attacked him?

He remembered Seungcheol mentioning the coven’s sire a few times, always warning them about doing rounds in the woods. _I want to believe it will be fine, but don’t let your guard down_ , Seungcheol had said. And now, here was Vernon. He almost felt like screaming.

If one of Jeonghan’s fledglings had really attacked him, what would Seungcheol do? Of course, Vernon knew what the regular protocol was: sanctions would be put in place against the coven; restricting their access to blood, paying for reparations, etc. However, he had no idea how the lead hunter would _personally_ react. Seungcheol was a logical person, but this wasn’t an exclusively logical situation, was it?

What if Seungcheol had tried to fight the vampires seeking revenge? As good as Seungcheol was, Vernon, doubted he could take on Jeonghan’s coven alone. He’d done some research about them and most were over the 200-year-old mark; they were strong and then there was Jeonghan himself, who people believed was around (or even _over_ ) the one-thousands. Seungcheol couldn’t win, Vernon could only hope the lead hunter had held his emotions back, at least so he wouldn’t march into helpless revenge.

The new-born vampire didn’t know what to do. The room had two doors: one probably leading to an en-suite bathroom, and one that would give him access to the rest of the house. Could he go outside? Would he find the doors locked, so he’d have to wait for someone to come and get him? Or was he free to do as he pleased?

Vernon then realized a bone-deep ache, something he could only register as an _absence. Is this what hunger feels like?_ He wondered. It was different from when he was hungry as a human; his stomach wasn’t growling or churning, there was just an empty feeling that he could feel throughout his body.

He decided it was better to check the doors in an attempt to not think about the feeling too much. He tried the one across from the bed first; as he’d thought there was a bathroom on the other side. It had a simple and clean layout: a spacious bath/shower combo, a toilet, and a sink with adjacent cabinets. Everything had tones of white, deep-blue, black, and silver-chrome.

Vernon paused when his eyes wandered over the ornate mirror above the sink. His light-brown hair had become bright silver and his eyes were now a bright light-blue, instead of dark-brown. His skin had also lost its warmer, tanned colors; now it looked like marble or porcelain, eerily pale with dark, prominent veins.

He looked _unsettlingly_ beautiful. 

Seungcheol had explained that vampires could make themselves look _just_ pale, without looking like an actual walking cadaver. He’d been training Vernon and the others on how to look past it, so they wouldn’t be charmed while hunting.

 _People are always drawn to the unknown, to that foreign, almost_ otherwordly _beauty which makes them the perfect predators. That’s why we need to learn how to see_ around _it, and still pretend like we’re fully enthralled. A killer is a killer, no matter how harmless they make themselves to be, no matter how_ pretty _they make themselves look._ Vernon’s memory readily provided, Seungcheol’s lecture voice making him smile sadly.

The hunter closed the door and walked back into the room. As he made it to the other door, before he could try the handle, it began moving.

Vernon took a step back, or so he thought, just as he felt the opposite wall right behind him. Not giving him time to process that he’d _blurred_ across the room, the door opened and in walked someone who all but made Vernon’s brain short-circuit.

They were tall, had a slight body - perfectly outlined by an all-black ensemble of a lace long-sleeved blouse and tailored pants. However, Vernon’s full attention was drawn to the other’s face: it all seemed carved in the same way those Renassaince-style angels were painted, with short and wavy platinum-blond hair to match. Their eyes were the same light shade of blue Vernon now had, and his features conveyed a surprising gentleness, albeit careful.

Vernon _knew_ who they were. Nothing his imagination had ever mustered about Yoon Jeonghan’s appearance could even _compare_ to the truth. The older vampire was looking him over from the door, not even moving to enter. He seemed to be analyzing him, accessing the better course of action on how to approach the newly risen vampire.

However, there was also an underlying feeling of _warmth_ coming from him; as if he could barely keep himself from rushing to Vernon. He was glad the older had chosen to just watch from a distance, though.

“You are finally awake! I’m so glad.” Jeonghan said, smiling genuinely. “May I come in?”

Vernon only nodded his accent. Jeonghan walked into the room, coming closer to the younger, seeming to completely ignore the state of the bed. Vernon didn’t feel threatened at all, but after so many years working as a hunter, he couldn’t help bracing for the worst (even when his whole body seemed to actually relax _more_ the closer Jeonghan moved towards him).

“I suppose introductions are in order. I am Yoon Jeonghan, the sire of this coven and I’m very happy to welcome you to it.” Jeonghan said.

“I’m Chwe Vernon. And I know who you are.” Vernon was surprised by his own leveled voice. 

Jeonghan’s smile became sad then. “Ah, yes. As expected of one of Seungcheol’s associates. We have… A lot to talk about, but first I would like to introduce you to the others, and would you like to feed as well? Your body had to heal quite a lot besides the turning, and I wouldn’t want you to go too long without feeding in the beginning…”

Vernon blinked a few times, and then said:

“Okay?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, let’s go then! The others are very excited to meet you.” Jeonghan smiled and offered his hand. Vernon only hesitated for a moment before taking it. Jeonghan’s hand was really soft, except for the jewelry in a few of his fingers.

The older guided Vernon out of the bedroom into a corridor, and then into a large living room. Before he’d even laid eyes on the other vampires, Vernon noticed he could _feel_ them. There were five of them waiting, and Vernon also noticed a very faint smell of ash and jasmine hanging in the air.

Vernon recognized the ash smell from the time he’d witnessed the execution of a vampire in the Academy headquarters. They’d been brought into the mid-day sun, catching on fire and burning until there was nothing left but the ashes. The smell had been strong enough that even as a human he could smell it. He remembered running to a bathroom, then, and vomiting.

This time, however, it was weirdly pleasant. The smell seemed to comfort him, similarly to how Jeonghan holding his hand did.

As soon as they approached the large sofa where the others were, all of them turned, looking right at Vernon. One of them - with curly light-brown hair -, gasped audibly causing another one - with platinum blond hair, not unlike Jeonghan’s -, to hit the first over the head; the remaining three, however, simply looked on at him, sizing him up.

“So, sleeping beauty finally awakens.” The one with slightly lilac hair and round glasses perched on a thin button nose said, arching a dark eyebrow.

“And what a beauty he is.” Another one - with dark blond hair and sharp green eyes -, singsonged with a smirk.

“You are all _insufferable_.” The last vampire - the smallest one, with white-blond hair and sliver-blue eyes -, pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, and letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Just because _you_ aren’t interested in this sort of thing doesn’t mean we all aren’t, _Jihoonie_.” Green Eyes drawled in a condescendingly sweet tone.

The smaller one - _Jihoon, apparently_ -, glared daggers at the other, but before he could say anything, Jeonghan spoke.

“Well, as you can see Vernon, they are a lively sort. These are Seokmin, Soonyoung, Wonwoo, Joshua, and Jihoon.” Vernon nodded in acknowledgment. Seokmin waved at him with a huge grin - which made his eyes disappear into crescent shapes -, Soonyoung smiled, Wonwoo simply lowered the eyebrow he’d raised and adjusted his glasses, Joshua winked (his smirk growing wider), and Jihoon gave him an “I’m surrounded by idiots” look.

“We are only missing our other youngest, but we’ll talk about it all after you feed. Shall we?” Jeonghan continued gesturing to the others as well, and Vernon didn’t miss how the oldest’s voice became sad as he mentioned the other vampire.

They all got up and moved into the kitchen. They took their places around a glass top-table, which seemed to be defined by the cup, mug, or glass it had in front of it; Joshua had a crystal wine glass, Soonyoung had a large mug with a design of sleeping tigers, Jihoon had a transparent tumbler with “But first, blood” in fancy lettering, Wonwoo had a mug with a black cat in glasses design, and Seokmin had a glass with sunflowers all over. There was another crystal wine glass left, which Vernon guessed was Jeonghan’s.

Jeonghan nudged him towards a vacant seat next to Jihoon and then went to one of the three industrial refrigerators, retrieving seven metal tumblers. Vernon didn’t have to guess what was in them. The oldest put the tumblers in front of each of them, then went to look into one of the cupboards built in the wall and retrieved a simple tall white mug. After setting it in front of Vernon, he finally took his seat, on his other side.

“You can later pick any cup you’d like, but I believe it might help to drink from an opaque one on your first time,” Jeonghan said gently.

“Right… So, uh, we just pour the blood from here?” Vernon asked, gesturing to the metal tumblers.

“Yes. On your own time.”

All around the table, the others were already unscrewing theirs and were pouring the viscous dark-red liquid into their cups.

The smell hit him like a bat over the head. Vernon shut his eyes forcefully, but it only made it worse. Just as he felt himself start to shake, a reassuring hand squeezes his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Vernon. Take your time.” Jeonghan’s voice was low and sweet, but most importantly it was _grounding._ His thumb was making circular motions on Vernon’s back. After a few minutes, Vernon calmed down enough to open his eyes again. Everyone was looking at him, but they all had knowing soft expressions. No one was drinking, all were waiting for him to take his first drink.

Vernon reached for the metal tumbler and opened it, pouring the blood into his mug, once it was almost filled he stopped. Jeonghan’s hand was still at his shoulder. Vernon then took the cup to his lips and tipped it back to drink.

When the blood hit his tongue, Vernon nearly saw stars. The flavor was strong, _decadent_ , and it soothed the emptiness he’d been feeling since awakening. He felt a quick pang in his gums as his canines descended into long and sharp fangs. Once he was finished, Vernon felt a blissful calm.

He’d closed his eyes again at some point, and when he opened them the others were still watching him. Vernon noticed how they looked a lot more relaxed, and Joshua - sitting across from him -, was smiling openly, his own fangs on display.

“Very good, well done.” Jeonghan cooed on the same low voice, letting go of his shoulder. Vernon couldn’t help a shy smile that formed across his lips.

Then, the table sprang into motion as the others also began drinking. It wasn’t long until they were all finished. Vernon could tell there was something looming over them; Jeonghan himself looked conflicted and they’re eerily silent. The oldest sighed, turning to fully look at Vernon before starting:

“Well, now that that’s settled, I’m afraid we must discuss how and why you’re here now, Vernon. Five nights ago, our youngest - Chan -, was out on a walk in which he ended up crossing paths with you in the most unfortunate of ways. He brought you back here and after you gave me your consent I turned you.

I fully understood what it meant to have one of mine hurt - or outright _kill_ -, one of Seungcheol’s, and I was ready to face the consequences for it. Nevertheless, here we are now. I want you to know you’re more than welcome to stay with us if you so wish, however, I’ll also understand if you’d like to go back to stay with your comrades in the sect later.

I only ask that you understand that you must remain here, for the time being; to better acclimate to your new self, abilities, and bloodlust, of course. I’ll notify Seungcheol of your awakening and I imagine he’ll more than likely come over to see you. There shouldn’t be any problems since we are all here and you’ve just fed, but I won’t take any risks by leaving you two alone, at least for now. Is that okay with you?”

Vernon listened in silence and curtly nodded, trying his best to take everything in. His mind was racing since his heart no longer could. What was going to happen? What would Seungcheol do - _or say_ -, when he saw him? Would the others come too? And if they came, what would _they_ do?

“Your head is going to explode if you keep thinking that hard. Seungcheol is reasonable, he hasn’t placed any sanctions on Jeonghan yet because you consented. He’ll be happy you’re still alive, give or take some missing bodily functions.” Wonwoo said. “Don’t stress over it too much.”

“And there goes our mister I-have-no-idea-how-feelings-and-much-less-empathy-works.” Joshua laughed wryly.

“It’s not that simple either way. Seungcheol has had five nights to sit on the matter; who knows how he’s feeling right now? Just because he didn’t outright set us on fire then, doesn’t mean he won’t seek retribution. Not to mention he’ll have to report back to the Academy that one of the hunters in his sect got turned.” Soonyoung reasoned.

“Which will lead to the question of _how_ that happened…” Seokmin murmured.

“It’s not like Seungcheol _needs_ to mention that Chan killed Vernon first,” Joshua said while turning his glass in his hand.

“You think that won’t be the _first_ thing he writes on the report? Sure, Josh.” Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“What if he thinks the Academy will want Vernon’s head on a stick once they know? Would he risk that? Besides, he could just make something up about how Vernon got mortally wounded in a fight with a rouge, and so, respecting that his protegé didn’t want to die, he took him to the closest coven and _poof_ : vampire hunter turned vampire.”

While they discussed, Jeonghan remained silent, probably lost in his own thoughts on the matter. He sighed and then said:

“There is no point in wondering. I’ll go call Seungcheol now, and then we’ll fully settle this.”

Vernon had a knot in his throat, and seeing the sad expression in Jeonghan’s face along with the uneasiness of the others only made it worse. However, he knew Jeonghan was right. There was no reason to ponder over _what-ifs_. If it was time to face Seungcheol’s anger and disappointment, Vernon wanted it to be over as quickly as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's my babie Vernon lmao


	4. Loyalty

Choi Seungchol had never thought he’d be in such a situation.

In his kind of occupation one should always be ready to lose comrades; and in all his years as a student at the Academy and then when he established his own Sect he had lost quite a few people. 

However, none had been _brought back_.

Seungcheol had spent a lot of time trying to understand why he’d spared Yoon Jeonghan five years prior. Had it been the sheer endearment in the vampire’s tone? Or maybe how Jeonghan had looked at him as just a _person_ and not as prey or as an enemy?

Whatever it was, he knew full well he’d tipped a scale. In the following five years, the two of them became quite close. They would meet every couple of weeks, in which Seungcheol would keep Jeonghan up to par about rouge sightings - since the vampire had shown an interest in helping take care of the issue.

However, soon enough, Seungcheol noticed they would just _talk_ after the briefing. Jeonghan expressed a few times he loved listening to Seungcheol’s ramblings, and the way his face slowly relaxed as he vented. Seungcheol also found himself liking listening to Jeonghan’s first-hand experiences in a world he’d only learned about in history books.

Jeonghan spoke of peoples, wars, and the coven mates he’d met along the way. He hardly ever spoke about himself. Seungcheol had only asked a couple of times about where the vampire had come from if he’d always been like this… Every time Jeonghan’s expression would sadden, but he’d still answer.

Seungcheol noticed they had built this mutual trust, this _care_ for one another. So, when Jeonghan called him in the middle of the night his sect and he had been franticly looking for Vernon, Seungcheol’s world fell.

When he saw the quiet, yet brilliant, young man laying in a bed motionless, neck ruined, and deadly pale features; the hunter’s mind had gone blank. He felt angry, _betrayed_ ; and he was grieving. The spiral of emotions didn’t allow him to think clearly, so he left the vampire’s estate at a loss: of what he should do, how he could tell the others of what had happened. Seungcheol felt as if he was drowning. 

The rest of his Sect reacted as well as could be expected: Minghao and Junhui shrugged it off, _Vernon was a good person, I’m sure he won’t go off the rails just because he’s a vampire now. That’s what I hope, at least._ Minghao had said in a calm tone.

Mingyu was worried about the possibility of the coven rejecting Vernon since he was a hunter, but Seungcheol just told him the younger would be fine and that the vampires would look after him.

These three weren’t the problem. _Seungkwan_ was.

Boo Seungkwan had a similar story to Vernon’s, however, the former had barely survived the vampire attack that all but ended his family and quite a few of their acquaintances. Seungcheol met the young man in the hospital, as the case fell on his jurisdiction, but Seungkwan was in too deep of a shock to give any information.

Fortunately, for better or worse, the group of rogues attacked again, but this time the Sect was on them before they could repeat the massacre. They were neutralized on sight. A couple of months later, Seungkwan showed up at the Sect to fill in for the medic position. He’d said he wanted to repay Seungcheol and his team for avenging his family and friends.

Seungkwan turned out to be a stellar doctor; which was essential given their line of work. They had taught him a few things so Seungkwan could protect himself in a tough situation, but it was clear the man couldn’t really handle even the _possibility_ of facing a vampire. So, when Seungcheol told them what had happened to Vernon, Seungkwan nearly fainted on the spot.

It took over an hour for the medic to regain his composure, and Seungcheol could tell that it would be tough having Vernon back in the Sect as a vampire. Nevertheless, it was what it was; Vernon was still one of them in the end, and the Academy wasn’t opposed to having vampires in their ranks.

Seungcheol wrote the report of what had happened the day after. He’d spent the whole night writing and rewriting the document: he was conflicted about whether or not he should mention the attack Vernon suffered by Lee Chan _before_ being turned. He hadn't even told his teammates about it, that's how unsure he was.

His uncertainty made him anxious. Although he’d told Jeonghan he wouldn’t mention it, did he still owe that to the vampire after what happened? He didn’t know, which only made it all so much worse. Somehow, Seungcheol also knew that Jeonghan wouldn’t hold it against him if he _did_ end up reporting it, since the vampire knew he’d be doing his job.

However, Seungcheol couldn’t bear the thought of having to execute a termination sanction against one of Jeonghan’s coven members. It wasn’t about mercy, not really; it wasn’t so simple. It was about what _Jeonghan_ would do. When a termination sanction was assigned to a coven member instead of the usual rouge, the sire of the coven could volunteer to receive the sanction in place of their fledgling. Seuncheol had no doubt that would be the case.

Jeonghan would never just stand still as one of his own met their end, _especially_ when it was because of a sanction, and a sanction resulting from an unfortunate turn of events; he would take responsibility, and, as much as Seungcheol would love to say that the possibility of Jeonghan’s death didn’t affect him, he couldn’t. So, here he was at a standstill. 

In the end, he opted for writing that Vernon had been attacked by a rouge while in a round, was then found by a member of Jeonghan’s coven and turned. He didn’t feel like he was outright lying, and that’s how he decided that would be his final version of the fact.

Seungcheol had been looking over some recent reports on rouge sightings in the area and drinking a glass of whiskey when his phone buzzed. Upon seeing who the caller was, he quickly answered.

“Jeonghan. Did Vernon wake up?” he asked a bit too fast.

“Good evening, Seungcheol. Yes, Vernon awakened an hour ago.” Jeonghan answered in a too amicable tone.

“How is he?”

“As well as one could be. His first feeding also happened quite smoothly, but I imagine you would like to verify his situation in person.”

“Definitely.”

“Well, in that case, come at your earliest convenience, we’ll be waiting.”

“I will bring my team as well, they were quite anxious about this whole thing.”

“Of course. I’m sure Vernon would like to see them too.”

“Alright then. See you soon.” Seungcheol ended the call with a click.

He ran his fingers through his hair, an unknown feeling settling in his stomach. _Vernon had made it_ , there were few unsuccessful turnings, but one could never be too sure. After a deep sigh, Seungcheol got up from his desk retrieving his holster and coat from the wall. Exiting his office, he found his teammates in the main lounge area.

Minghao was thoroughly cleaning and checking his guns and knives with Junhui’s assistance, while Seungkwan cleaned a gash on Mingyu’s shoulder from a previous mission. They all looked up and greeted him.

“Vernon’s awake,” Seungcheol said, “I’m going to see him and I want you all to come with me.”

Seungkwan froze mid swab, the others looked at their chief with unsure expressions.

“Why? You always go by yourself. You’re just going to check if Vernon’s doing okay, right? I don’t really see why we should all go. Besides, aren’t you and Yoon Jeonghan close? If they haven’t tried anything in five years they won’t start now.” Minghao shrugged returning his attention to reassembling a pistol.

“At least not against _you_ ,” Junhui whispered.

“They won’t do anything against you either. Don’t you want to check on Vernon too?” Seungcheol continued.

“Vernon can look after himself, and he’s one of them now, covens aren’t known for turning their back on one of themselves without reason,” Junhui reasoned, “I do want to go and see him, but maybe it’s better to wait a couple of weeks, don’t you think? He might feel overwhelmed with a lot of humans in the room.”

Just as Seungcheol was ready to drop the argument and go alone, Seungkwan spoke in a low voice.

“I want to go.”

The other four whipped their heads and stared.

 _"You_ want to go? To a _vampire coven_?” Minghao was incredulous.

Seungkwan nodded, then continuing:

“I want to go and see Vernon. I think I can handle this.”

Minghao threw his head back, sighing and Mingyu patted their medic in the shoulder, a genuine smile on his face. Junhui looked at Seungcheol then, waiting for instructions. Before he could process what had just happened, Minghao said:

“Well, if Seungkwan is willing to face his trauma for this, we might as well tag along. For moral support if anything.”

Junhui and Mingyu agreed.

“In that case, get yourselves ready and we’ll be out,” Seungcheol said.

As the others got up to leave the room, Seungcheol went to Seungkwan and held him by the shoulder.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t think there will be any issues, but I also don’t want you to do something that will cause more harm than good,” he asked in a hushed voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure. I think this is the best way to do this, and I also want to get as used to this new side of Vernon as soon as I can, so that there won’t be any issues when he starts working with us again.” Seungkwan said, a hopeful smile spreading through his lips.

Seungcheol nodded. Maybe they could all have a little bit of hope if Seungkwan was willing to battle his own demons to make it work.

*

Half an hour later they were on their way. Minghao and Junhui had just as many weapons on them as they did for a mission, Mingyu had just a pistol and a couple of knives - as did Seungcheol -, and Seungkwan was unarmed.

As Seungcheol drove, Minghao pulled up his phone.

“Shall we go through their profiles in the meantime?” he said. When the others agreed, he continued, “Alright. In order of age, we got Yoon Jeonghan, Joshua Hong, Kwon Soonyoung, Jeon Wonwoo, Lee Jihoon, Lee Seokmin, and Lee Chan.

Jeonghan is the sire of the entire coven, there’s not much known about him on any database; Joshua and Wonwoo are the most infamous, for their high kill-count on record; Soonyoung, Jihoon, Seokmin, and Chan are clean.”

Seungcheol’s hands tightened on the wheel.

“Why didn’t Joshua and Wonwoo get served with sanctions?” Seungkwan asked.

“Oh, they did. However, all the agents that went after them ended up dead.” Junhui shrugged, “I guess the Academy just let it go after they lost over half of their best. They’re probably just waiting for one of them to walk out of line and bring down the entire coven.”

Seungkwan visibly paled. For the first time, Seungcheol felt like not reporting on Chan’s attack had been the right option after all.

*

An hour later, the Jeep pulled over in front of the estate. The hunters and the medic got out and walked towards the entrance.

Minghao checked the clip of the gun in his jacket’s holster one last time before Seungcheol knocked on the tall wooden door. It was quickly opened by Jeonghan. Seungcheol held his breath. He thought was used to how beautiful Jeonghan was, but now he wasn’t so sure.

Jeonghan’s blond hair was modeled with loose waves, he wore a black lace dress shirt, a black silk choker, and perfectly fitting black tailored pants. In the porch light, his hair seemed to glow, his eyes were outlined with simple make-up, the irises looked like liquid silver.

It was a sight to behold.

The vampire smiled sweetly as he looked the hunters over and beckoned them inside. He didn’t even seem to mind the gun holsters that were revealed as they removed their coats and jackets. Minghao and Junhui analyzed every detail, Mingyu looked like he’d stepped into heaven, and Seungkwan had his eyes fixed on the marble floor.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet all of you, please make yourselves comfortable, We are waiting in the dining room,” Jeonghan said.

Minghao shot Seungcheol a look that said _how appropriate_ , the leader almost laughed, his lips settling into a smirk. 

Jeonghan guided them through corridors and rooms until they arrived in the dining room. The vampires were all sat on the side of the table that faced the door, their eyes locking onto the hunters as soon as they stepped into the room. 

Seungcheol didn’t even have to try to find Vernon: he was sat right in the middle of the table, Joshua Hong and Jeon Wonwoo on either side of him. His hair was now a blue-silver color, his eyes were the same shade of blue as Jeonghan’s.

The hunter felt his heart swell. He still looked like himself, still had that calm vibe. Vernon smiled bashfully at him, and Seungcheol couldn’t help smiling back. Minghao was right: human or vampire, Vernon was still _Vernon_. Joshua, who’d been playing with the rim of his wine glass, laughed airly and addressed Jeonghan:

“So, you finally managed to not only present your boyfriend to us but also his teammates. Well played.”

Mingyu chocked a laugh. Seuncheol felt blood rushing to his face.

“Joshua, do attempt to behave.” Jeonghan’s endeared voice and laughs only made the lead hunter blush harder.

“Look, his head is going to explode,” Wonwoo smirked.

“Can we get to the point? Vernon looks fine, I guess we can go now.” Minghao’s voice was cold.

“Ohh the scary Xu Minghao! All work and no play, indeed.” Joshua teased.

“Enough.” Jeonghan’s voice was firmer this time.

Joshua closed his mouth, but a foxy smirk was still in full display. Seungcheol cleared his throat and handed Jeonghan the paperwork he’d been holding.

“You and Vernon need to sign this and then the paperwork will be done. I already notified the Academy of what happened, and there shouldn’t be any problem in Vernon returning to the Sect when he’s ready.” Seungcheol said.

“Very well, Vernon come over.” Jeonghan sat in one of the chairs on their side of the table and Vernon moved to join him. Lee Jihoon produced a pen from his jacket pocket and handed it to the eldest. Seungcheol noticed Lee Chan was nowhere to be seen. He also noticed his teammates and the vampires sizing each other up, except for Seungkwan, who was looking at Vernon while he read the papers with Jeonghan.

The medic’s expression was unreadable. He was still clearly very tense but seeing that Vernon had barely changed besides his appearance seemed to bring him some solace. Seungcheol then noticed Mingyu openly staring at Wonwoo, his eyes all but sparkling. The vampire seemed to be plainly ignoring him, typing on his phone.

When he turned around, he saw that both Jihoon and Joshua were looking at him. They were the only other vampires Seungcheol saw regularly, as the recording studio they owned was located around the corner from their base. He had wondered if it had been on purpose, but they never really met besides in passing, all the information he had on either came from the Academy’s records, which wasn’t much, as it focused on kill counts instead of personality.

“Done. Here it is.” Jeonghan’s voice drew his attention and he took the papers back.

“Well, all done here then.” 

“What?! No fighting? No swearing to ends us for turning your precious protegé into a _monster_? I guess I can see why Jeonghan likes you so much, he’s always been fond of the softer types.” Joshua singsonged condescendingly.

“I _am_ fond of Seungcheol, however, it is because he’s reasonable.” Jeonghan rolled his eyes.

“Reasonable is boring. I’d respect him more if he’d come here demanding Chan to break his own neck, walk into the noon sun, or something like that. ”

Seungcheol froze. Before he could amend the situation, Minghao asked:

“Why would Seungcheol want that?” his voice, _too_ leveled.

Joshua looked somewhat confused, continuing:

“Uh, because Chan attacked Vernon? He all but ripped the boy’s neck off, there was _so much_ blood. We weren’t even sure he would still have enough life in him for the change to happen.”

Seungcheol wouldn’t be able to describe what happened next from how fast it was: Minghao took aim at Joshua but missed the shot because Vernon was there in an instant holding his wrist in a vice grip, then leading to Junhui having his own pistol aimed at Vernon’s temple. Everyone was stunned into silence.

The shot had missed Joshua’s head and lodged itself in the wall. Wonwoo and Jihoon had stood but stayed in place, while Soonyoung had pulled Seokmin behind himself. Mingyu had done the same with Seungkwan.

Vernon was looking straight at Minghao, his expression grave. Seungcheol had never seen that expression on his face before. Junhui’s voice cut through the silence, a cold warning:

“A shot to the head won’t kill you, but it will give Jeonghan a lot of trouble to get all the gore off his furniture. Let him go.”

Vernon didn’t even look at him.

“Vernon, let Minghao _go_ ,” Seungcheol ordered, reaching for his own gun when Vernon also ignored him.

A hand on his elbow stopped him, however. Jeonghan’s face was impassive. He walked to Vernon’s other side and grabbed him by the neck. The effect was immediate: Vernon crashed back into reality and his entire body recoiled, letting go of the hunter. Minghao’s wrist was bruised and bleeding where the vampire’s nails had dug in.

Junhui lowered his gun and went to the other. Minghao didn’t miss a beat, however:

“Lee Chan _attacked_ Vernon?! Why the fuck didn’t you tell us, Seungcheol?! Why the fuck didn’t you _report_ it?!"

Seungcheol was speechless. All the while, Jeonghan was holding Vernon, who’d fallen to his knees. His entire body was shaking.

“Because he didn’t want something like this to happen,” Seungkwan said in a small voice, also watching Vernon.

“ _Really?!_ So if Hong hadn’t said anything you never would? Seungcheol, this is _treason_ \--” Seungcheol didn’t let Minghao finish.

“I am well aware of what this is, Minghao. But it's the decision I made.”

“You’d put your own neck on the line to protect a vampire?! A vampire who, in case you've forgotten, attacked and pretty much _killed_ your own pupil?! _Why?!_ ”

Seungcheol didn’t know. Jeonghan was still holding Vernon but was looking straight at him, his expression so open Seungcheol averted his eyes. Minghao was livid, Junhui looked at their leader with disdain, Mingyu looked lost and Seungkwan seemed empathetic. It was all so much, _too_ much. Then, a figure appeared on the doorway.

Lee Chan stood completely still taking in the scene before him.

“Oh, Chan…” Jeonghan’s voice was oh so small.

Before the young vampire could say anything, Wonwoo had blurred in front of him, in a defensive stance. Jeonghan stood up and held onto Seungcheol’s arm.

“Enough. Meaningless violence won’t solve anything. What is done is done.” the eldest vampire sounded exhausted.

Minghao scoffed. 

“If that’s the case then let’s go. I had enough bullshit for one day.” he stalked out all but shoving the two vampires in the doorway to the side. Junhui followed, but Mingyu and Seungkwan looked at Seungcheol.

“Go on, take the car. I’ll go back by myself later.”

Mingyu was about to protest, but Seungkwan shushed him. He gave one last look at Vernon, looking away when their eyes met. Vernon curled on himself. Mingyu paused when they passed Wonwoo and Chan. The older vampire was all but bearing his teeth at the hunter, but Mingyu didn’t look away. He only moved when Seungkwan pulled his arm.

“You didn’t tell them.” it wasn’t even a question.

Seungcheol looked at Jeonghan and shook his head.

“I just… Couldn’t. I didn't know what to do - hell, I still don't."

“I don’t think it gets anymore cliché than miscommunication… Xu Minghao really was ready to end me, I guess he never heard about ‘don’t kill the messenger’...” Joshua said while examining the bullet hole in the wall.

“I hope that teaches you to _think_ before opening your mouth.” Jihoon hit him over the head.

Jeonghan laughed wryly. Seungcheol saw that Chan and Vernon were looking at each other: the formed looked like he was about to pass out, and the latter looked curious. Jeonghan noticed the scene as well, and then said:

“Well, Vernon this is Chan; and Chan this is Vernon. I hope you won’t be hiding in your room anymore, hum?”

Chan was ready to bolt and was half hiding behind Wonwoo. Jeonghan sighed shaking his head in defeat, he then looked up at Seungcheol - who noticed that the vampire was still holding on to his arm.

“Would you care for a drink?”

Not trusting his ability to speak properly, Seungcheol simply nodded, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you know, CHOICES LMAO


	5. Softness

Seuncheol’s head felt fuzzy. There was a lingering bitterness on his tongue, and his throat felt scratchy. He didn’t even notice Jeonghan was still holding on to his arm as the vampire guided him to “ _somewhere more private_ ”, as he had put it.

Jeonghan’s fledglings had remained back in the dining room, while the eldest whisked them away. Seungcheol looked over to the vampire’s profile, noticing he looked a lot calmer - albeit exhausted. The halls and corridors of Jeonghan’s estate weren’t overly furnished; the marble walls had lamps along them and the from the ceilings hang candelabras. There were desks every now and then, with elaborate flower arrangements, some framed pictures - all landscapes, and no portraits.

Seungcheol wished he had some of Seungkwan’s knowledge when it came to flowers, but all his brain could muster was “ _wow pretty_ ”. He was distracted, _so distracted_ , in fact, he didn’t even notice they’d arrived at their destination until Jeonghan nudged him to enter into a dark room. The hunter didn’t even have to wonder for too long what the room was, because Jeonghan turned on the lights as soon as they were both inside. 

It was a mix between an office and a library. The walls were covered with full dark bookshelves; which reached from floor to ceiling, and there was a massive dark wood desk and ornate chair right in the middle of the room. There was a floor to ceiling window behind the desk, the crescent moon shining right in the middle of it.

The top of the desk was pretty bare: there was a reading lamp, a few journals and papers neatly organized in small piles, as well as some thick leather-bound books.

There were also soft-looking chairs and small sofas, the marble flooring mostly covered by plush and fluffy white rugs, and the lights were all warm-toned. The room smelled like comfort. 

Seungcheol noticed he’d stood there staring around when his eyes landed on Jeonghan, who was watching him; a warm and endeared smile on his lips. The hunter felt heat spread across his face and cleared his throat as he looked away.

“This is my office, but the others love coming here to read or just keep me company when I forget to leave the room for a long period of time,” Jeonghan said moving towards a cabinet next to the desk.

“Hm, does that happen often? You just… _Standing there_ and forgetting about it, I mean.” Seungcheol asked.

“Sometimes. I’ve tried my best to not overwork myself so I can spend more time with them, for Chan’s sake especially. However, once one has lived for as long as I have, tapping into memories becomes more than just… _Looking_. I fully return to the moment and then it’s quite easy to spiral. When I finally come back, it’s normally because one of the others found me and shakes me back to reality,” Jeonghan’s expression turned sad.

Seungcheol didn’t know what to say. He had spaced out before, sure, but never for _hours_. Noticing the hunter didn’t have anything else to say, Jeonghan opened the cabinet, revealing quite a few shelves stock-full with liquor bottles and pristine looking glasses, he chose a bottle with dark-amber liquid and two short whiskey glasses.

“You’re going to drink too?” The hunter arched a dark brow.

“The older we are, the more tolerant we become to human foods and drinks. A lot has happened tonight, so I believe we’ve won a small treat.” Jeonghan answered simply, as he poured the spirit in the tumblers. He walked over to Seungcheol, handling him one of them, and then gestured for them to sit in one of the sofas, putting the bottle on the floor next to them.

They lifted their glasses, cheering, and then drank. The liquor hit Seungcheol _hard_ , but he managed to not outright choke. Jeonghan looked unaffected. The hunter could feel as the whiskey settled throughout his body: he felt warmer and the haze in his mind went from worrisome to something akin to pleasing.

Jeonghan offered to fill his glass again and he happily let him, downing the drink in one go afterward. Jeonghan giggled then and Seungcheol found himself giggling along.

“Aren’t you going a little too fast with that?” Jeonghan said in a lovingly teasing tone.

“I’m… I’m fine… I can handle it.” Seungcheol said, not really caring about how his words drawled.

He vaguely noticed he was closer to Jeonghan now. They had sat one space apart, but now it was only a few centimeters. Seungcheol noticed Jeonghan’s hand which held his tumbler and reached for it with both of his own.

Jeonghan’s hands were elegant, his fingers long and slim, adorned with quite a few rings. His sharp nails, perfectly kept. However, Seungcheol was enthralled by how _cold_ they actually were.

He brought Jeonghan’s hand closer, holding it tightly above his heart, attempting to somehow warm them.

“Your hand is so cold…” The hunter whispered.

He looked up at Jeonghan, to find the vampire looking at him with a very surprised and _concerned_ expression.

“Seungcheol I think you had a little too much to drink.” Jeonghan giggled.

“Would your hands warm up if you fed?” Seungcheol wasn’t listening, returning his attention to holding the hand above his heart.

This earned an exasperated sigh from the vampire who then turned his hand to hold Seungcheol’s, intertwining their fingers. Seungcheol looked up; Jeonghan’s expression was smoldering, which would normally cause him to look away flustered, however, the one too many drinks made him brave. He held Jeonghan’s gaze and squeezed his hand tighter.

“You are drunk Seungcheol,” Jeonghan stated, smiling. “I think it would be best for you to spend the night here…”

“Hm, that would be… nice…” Seungcheol felt himself leaning more into Jeonghan’s space, his body felt so heavy.

“Seungcheol…” Jeonghan warned, bringing his other hand to stop him.

“‘M so tired…” The hunter’s head fell on the vampire’s shoulder, sound asleep.

*

Jeonghan was dumbfounded.

He’d only offered Seungcheol the drink because he’d always smelled some of it on the hunter every time they met; he had not expected it to have such an effect on him, much less to knock the hunter out completely. 

Seungcheol was snoring softly on Jeonghan’s shoulder, his puffs of breath hitting the vampire’s jugular; their hands, still intertwined. Jeonghan brought his other hand to card through Seungcheol’s dark hair, soothingly scratching his scalp. Although he now mostly smelled of the hard liquor, Jeonghan could easily pick up the man’s usual scent: burning wood and roses.

The hunter’s weight was inconsequential for him; his warmth, absolutely addicting. At some point, the hunter’s free hand laced itself around Jeonghan’s waist, pulling him closer. Jeonghan let him, resting his own head on the man’s hair; moving his hand to caress the hunter’s back, working on some knots he found along the way. This won him some soft - _and oh so sweet_ \- sounds from the other.

Jeonghan had no idea how long they stayed like that, and he couldn’t care less, honestly. He could perceive his fledglings voices far away, they had probably moved to the living room, and they seemed to be getting along well. There was nothing to worry about. And so, he found himself greedily relishing in Seungcheol’s comforting warmth and steady heartbeat.

*

Chan felt absolutely overwhelmed. 

He cursed himself for coming out of his room to check things out after he’d heard a gun-shot. He should’ve known better because now he stood in the same room as the hunter he’d killed five nights ago.

And he was _beautiful_. 

Chan’s mind was racing and all he wanted was to run back to his room and hide for a whole decade; maybe a century even. Joshua was chatting away - _as he always did_ -, wondering how long it would take him to heal from a point-blank shot to the head. Wonwoo was still close, probably trying to show Chan he’d not let Vernon do anything to him, but the young vampire _knew_ Vernon wouldn’t do anything. He’d glimpsed some of the newborn's memories when he drank from him: Vernon was sweet and oh so gentle, although the hunter had been afraid of getting attacked, Chan had felt ( _had tasted_ ) something even sweeter despite it all: _forgiveness_.

Chan couldn’t bear looking at him. He felt like a monster from the depths of Hell trying to look an angel in the face; he felt disgusting. To make it all so much worse, Vernon seemed to sense his discomfort and swirling emotions and offered a reassuring smile.

“Hey… Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you or anything, I… uh… Well, everything turned out fine, right? So, don’t worry. I’m not mad.” Vernon said.

 _That_ was the problem. Chan was used to vitriol, to being punished for everything he did. The last five years with his coven had helped, of course; but the other twenty-two years were too deeply engraved into him. Vernon’s reassurances, his _gentleness_ \- which seemed to naturally emanate from him -, and, above all else, his _forgiveness_ ; sent Chan’s world spinning. He was scared because he didn’t know how to react to it.

“Of course he’s not going to do anything to you. Look at him! He’s almost as soft as Seokmin!” Joshua interjected. “Besides, _why_ are you acting as if _he_ was the one that ripped _your_ throat out?”

“I… I don’t know. I’m-I’m sorry.” Chan stammered.

“Don’t say you’re sorry. You guys just ended up meeting before you felt ready. It’s fine, Chan.” Seokmin smiled.

If there was anyone in the coven Chan felt _thankful_ for was Seokmin.

“But, if you _do_ feel sorry about killing him it’s fine to apologize and all.” Joshua continued.

“For fuck’s sake, Joshua, _shut up_ ,” Wonwoo exclaimed. “I’ll be the one putting a bullet through your head the next time.”

“Awn, you don’t mean that. I know you’d hate to clean everything afterward.”

Joshua screeched as Wonwoo tackled him to the floor. Jihoon threw his hands up, announcing he was retiring from his babysitting duties for the night.

“Have fun with these demons, Soonyoung.” He deadpanned, once he was already at the top of the stairs.

Soonyoung took a look at Wonwoo attempting to suffocate Joshua with a pillow and laughed wryly. Seokmin was already distracting himself with his Switch. Chan looked over at Vernon, who was looking back at him. 

“Uh… I am sorry for attacking you! And uh… Killing you…” Chan exclaimed making a ninety-degree bow.

His eyes were wide shut, and he only opened them when he felt hands on his shoulders moving him to get back up. Vernon’s expression and smile, soft.

“I accept your apology, so don’t worry about it anymore, alright?” he asked.

“Ok,” Chan whispered.

“Friends?” Vernon said showing his small finger.

Chan looked back and forth for a few seconds, confused. However, as Vernon began retracting his finger, Chan quickly intertwined the newborn's finger with his own. He could feel his whole body thrumming with the contact, and was sure that he’d be blushing up to the tip of his ears if he could.

“Friends.” Chan managed.

Vernon’s smile became blinding as he swung their fingers back and forth a few times.

“And so they were friends!” Joshua cheered, as he was trying to get Wonwoo off himself. “Speaking of, Jeonghan and his hunter have been awfully quiet, huh?”

“Why? You wanted them to be yelling at the top of their lungs?” Soonyoung deadpanned.

“Well, not _yelling_ , but I was kind of expecting some ---” Joshua was cut short as Wonwoo managed to shove two pillows on the other’s face.

Soonyoung shook his head in defeat.

As if he'd heard his name being called, Jeonghan emerged from the corridor to the inner parts of the house with a sound asleep Seungcheol in his arms. If the scene itself wasn't ridiculous, the size difference between the hunter and the vampire made it all the more hysterical. Chan felt Vernon tense for a moment before he noticed the human was just sleeping.

"Uh... Should I even ask what happened?" Soonyoung aked.

"He had a little too much to drink, that added to the night's stress probably exhausted him to the point of just falling asleep," Jeonghan answered simply.

"In your arms?" Joshua teased, already sitting up free from Wonwoo.

Jeonghan just shrugged. 

"I'll be taking him to sleep in my bedroom so you needn't worry."

"I didn't think you could prove yourself to be any more smooth, Jeonghan; but low and behold, you show us mere immortals just how wrong we are. I salute you." Joshua mockingly bowed.

"But he is alright?" Vernon spoke up, walking closer.

"Ah, yes. He is just sleeping. He'll probably have a strong headache once he wakes, but there shouldn't be much else." The eldest reassured his newborn.

"Oh! I just remembered! How did you act so fast when Xu Minghao went to shoot me, Vernon?" Joshua questioned.

The youngest paused then, his brows furrowing as he thought.

"I just... Had a feeling, I guess? Kinda like I could tell that's what would happen." Vernon mused.

"Seems like our baby has all but manifested his gift! On the same night he awakened no less!" Joshua exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

Vernon looked slightly confused, and just politely nodded.

"Your 'gift' is just an ability all vampires develop. It's mostly based on enhanced intuition, and we all have a different one." Wonwoo explained as he pinched Joshua's cheek, earning a yelp.

Vernon looked no longer confused and nodded again.

"Well, if you excuse me, I'll be taking Seungcheol upstairs. Do help Vernon get set up in one of the main bedrooms, yes?" Jeonghan stated a fond smile on his lips.

His fledglings all agreed in unison. Jeonghan turned around and climbed the stairs, disappearing into the corridor to his bedroom.

"Let's go, then," Soonyoung said motioning for the others to follow.

As they went, Vernon turned to Chan and smiled. He couldn't help but smile along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some cuteness for you guys uwu


	6. Simple Accident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isolation has been finally taking a toll on me ;-;  
> Sorry about the delay but I just couldn't help it T^T

Kim Mingyu had become a hunter under the Academy because he wanted to know more about the creatures that walked the night. He’d always been at the top of his class throughout high school, and in the Academy, it was no different. He excelled in both theoretical and physical aspects of being a hunter, which earned him a lot of attention, not all of it good.

Constant challenges came from his peers, and when Mingyu bested them, they seemed even more outraged. People always assumed he was some kind of entitled bastard because of his grades and results, so his years at the Academy were quite solitary.

All of that only changed when he began his apprenticeship under Choi Seungcheol, a quite respected hunter. The man was nothing like Mingyu had pictured: he’d welcomed him to team with open arms and a warm smile. Not once did Seungcheol look at Mingyu’s report card; _I want to see what you can do in the actual field, not in the hand-held tests. I want to see what you do when your life is actually on the line_ , the older hunter had said before Mingyu’s first mission.

Junhui and Minghao were great as well. At first, they’d seemed cold and distant, but warmed up eventually, proving to be reliable allies and very good friends. When Seungkwan arrived, he was sweet as a companion and fierce as a doctor. Mingyu found himself visiting his infirmary quite often, given that his close-quarters-combat approach earned him a lot more wounds than the other three hunters.

Seungkwan would always sigh and shake his head, exasperated, patching Mingyu back up masterfully. They became quite close over the many hours the hunter spent in the medic’s care. Even though Mingyu had always been fascinated by vampires, he could understand where Seungkwan’s fears came, so he kept his wonderings and gushings about them to a minimum around the medic.

That being said, he never stopped studying. Mingyu was always looking over the new articles and papers published about vampires by the Academy. Still, he felt like they knew _so little_ about them; when he fought with rouges, there were things he couldn’t explain, nor could he find any answers in the papers.

Mingyu was so _eager_ to learn more and more about vampires, both to better execute his missions, as well as to know, plain and simple. Vernon becoming a vampire created so many possibilities for Mingyu to witness first-hand how vampires worked, which had made him quite excited about the whole thing.

He kept all this to himself, as he didn’t want it to seem as if he only cared about Vernon because he could prove to be a valuable asset for Mingyu’s research. No, it was nothing like that. 

Mingyu had kept close to Vernon since he joined their team, the younger’s calm presence and demeanor helped to balance out Mingyu’s own hyper personality. Vernon was a great listener as well, never complaining when the older went on and on about a new research article he’d read over the weekend. And, above all else, Vernon was an amazing partner in their missions; he reminded Mingyu a bit of himself back in the Academy with how effortlessly he learned and adapted to adversities.

When Vernon looked to be doing just fine as part of Yoon Jeonghan’s coven, Mingyu wasn’t at all surprised. Instead, the hunter’s attention had been drawn to the lilac-haired vampire sitting next to Joshua Hong.

Jeon Wonwoo.

Along with the former, he had an extensive record in the Academy’s archives. He was a fierce opponent and had neutralized all hunter parties sent to kill him over the years. As he sat there, sizing the hunters up, Wonwoo’s body language was telling: feigning relaxation so he could have the upper hand in case anything went array; his eyes, sharp and alert.

When those same eyes landed on Mingyu, the hunter felt frozen where he stood. That gaze held recognition and some form of challenge, maybe even _annoyance_.

What the others present didn’t know, however, was that Mingyu and Wonwoo had previously met.

*

A few months prior, Mingyu had been after a rouge which had caused quite a ruckus in poorer areas around the city, and after a few days, Mingyu managed to locate his hiding spot to be in the woods up north; in Jeonghan’s coven’s territory. 

Once he passed the information to Seungcheol, the leader said he’d notify the vampires, as a heads-up of sorts to explain Mingyu’s presence there.

The hunter had been searching for over an hour that night, with nothing as much as a sighting of his target. Until he heard the harsh ruffling of leaves and a terrified scream coming from his left, not too far from his current position.

With haste, but attempting to not make an unnecessary move and alert the vampire of his presence, Mingyu moved in the direction of the scream. Once he noticed he’d reach a clearing, the hunter crouched amongst some bushes and short foliage to better understand what kind of situation he would be dealing with.

The scene before him was not at all what he expected: Mingyu had imagined that the rouge had brought one of his victims here, and that had been the scream he’d heard. He had been _very_ wrong.

The rouge did stand in the clearing. However, the scream had probably come from him, since Mingyu could see him holding on to his shoulder which was very much missing an entire arm. The wound was bleeding heavily and the rouge was walking backward as if he was trying to escape something or someone.

It was the latter: from the trees, a figure appeared; the missing limb being held by the wrist. The rouge made a strangled noise as his legs gave out and he fell on his bottom. The new-comer kept walking nonchalantly towards the rouge until he was fully within the clearing, the moonlight illuminating his features.

Mingyu drew a sharp intake of breath.

He had never met Jeonghan and much less his coven mates. However, the Academy’s archives offered profile pictures for all cataloged vampires, and the hunter had made it a point to memorize the faces of all the ones from Jeonghan’s coven.

Jeon Wonwoo stood in the clearing completely covered in blood from the waist down, the rouge’s missing limb in one hand. His face was impassive, but Mingyu could feel the disgust coming off the vampire, as the rouge began babbling unintelligibly, most likely begging for mercy.

“You beg for your life now? Tell me, how much did they beg when _you_ were the one holding their lives?” Wonwoo’s voice cut through the air, cold and unforgiving.

The rouge couldn’t stop shaking or form a coherent sentence. 

Wonwoo walked until he was in front of the other and kicked him back until the rouge hit a tree with enough force to crack the bark. The rouge was whimpering and coughing wetly.

“It’s because of scum like you we have to think about every single _fucking_ thing we do; all but waiting for hunters to show up and set our homes on fire, tear off our heads and limbs or the good-old stake to the heart.

Do you think Jeonghan would take garbage under his wing? You thought we wouldn’t finish you off ourselves if you showed your pathetic self in our territory? How cute.” Wonwoo continued, scorn dripping with every word.

Mingyu was stunned. He knew established covens didn’t mingle much with rouges - especially the ones that had sanctions against them -, but he didn’t think a coven member would take eliminating one themselves.

“Now, let’s put an end to this, you already wasted enough of my night,” Wonwoo added, coming close to the rouge again.

It was over in an instant. Wonwoo grabbed the rouge’s hair roughly and _pulled_ ; the head popped off with a horrible and wet tearing sound, as bones and muscles ripped apart. The vampire discarded the head and arm, then reached for one of the trees lower branches and snapping it in half, creating a make-shift wooden stake.

With swiftness, Wonwoo buried the stake in the rouge’s chest. It was done with so much strength that the point came out of the latter’s back. The effect was instant: the rouge’s body withered until there only remained a skeleton, which Wonwoo crushed with his boot.

Mingyu couldn’t breathe. He had never seen vampires killing one of their own, and he didn’t think they would use the same methods hunters did. His heart was hammering in his chest, and before he could make a move to leave, there were more rustling sounds and at least five shadows emerged from the same place Wonwoo had. Wolves: most had luscious black fur, and one was a shining silver in the moonlight. All their eyes were bright blue.

The group quickly made it for Wonwoo, the silver one whining and nosing at the vampire’s leg to get his attention.

“Yeah, it’s over. Let’s go home.” Wonwoo murmured in a much softer voice now.

Right then, Mingyu lost his balance and didn’t recover before rattling the leaves and branches of the bushes around him. The wolves immediately stood at attention, snarling with their teeth bared. Wonwoo looked over and seemed to find Mingyu all but instantly. As there was not much else he could do, the hunter stood up and into the clearing.

The wolves became even more agitated, back furs raised and snarling louder. Wonwoo was looking at him impassively. 

“Guess I took care of your target. Well, you can go back now. He was the only one.” The vampire shrugged.

Mingyu couldn’t even speak. Wonwoo’s gaze had him locked in place. The vampire arched a brow in question, continuing:

“Don’t worry about it, we want to get rid of these vermin as much as you do. Besides, you can put this kill on your tab all the same, so no need to look so stunned. Well then, see ya.”

And so the vampire turned his back and began walking away. The wolves immediately moved to follow him, but the silver one stopped to look curiously at Mingyu for a few moments before following suit.

Mingyu just stood there for quite some time until he managed to return to base. He reported back to Seungcheol that the hunt had been successful, not saying much else. The leader hunter looked at him somewhat confused but didn’t ask any further questions, only requesting that the younger wrote and submitted his full report to the archives as soon as possible.

He wrote and re-wrote the report for hours, incapable of concentrating. Every time he closed his eyes he saw _his_ , and when he finally gave up on writing and went to get some rest, he would dream of what had happened. In the weeks that followed, no matter how hard he tried, Mingyu could not keep Jeon Wonwoo out of his thoughts.

*

After the eventful night, the team was frazzled. Minghao was fuming the whole ride back, Junhui was dead silent, Seungkwan was lost, but there was also a sense of resignation to make it all work.

Mingyu was thinking; trying to process it all and then work out some kind of solution. Seungcheol had made a selfish decision to keep them in dark, but Mingyu could understand their leader’s perspective: reporting Lee Chan’s attack would probably result in a lot more than just the young vampire being sanctioned, and Seungcheol seemed hesitant - if not entirely _afraid_ \- of it.

Somehow, Yoon Jeonghan’s coven had become something other than just a liability to their leader; and Mingyu could sense a reason to why. Either way, they would have to work through it all, because there were stakes for all of them now in case the coven was to be put down: Vernon would be among them.

It would be a difficult ride.

Instead of driving back to HQ, Junhui dropped Mingyu and Seungkwan in front of the apartment complex where they lived with Vernon. The older just said they’d talk it over in the morning, hopefully with Seungcheol as well, so they should rest for the night.

They walked back to their apartment in silence. Seungkwan was so deep in thought he walked past their door and Mingyu had to call him back. He unlocked the door and the two walked in.

The apartment was small for three, but they made it work. Mingyu and Vernon shared a room while Seungkwan had one for himself. The young medic loved plants as much as he did medicine, so the entire space was covered in all kinds of potted plants, vases, and arrangements.

Seungkwan’s single bedroom also doubled as a low scale lab of sorts for him; since Mingyu and Vernon didn’t need much more space for their own things, the choice had been simple.

As soon as his shoes were off, Seungkwan walked to his room and closed the door. Mingyu sighed deeply and made for his and Vernon’s - _well, I guess now it’s just_ my _room…_ -, bedroom. He had been alone here for five days, but there was still some kind of weird hope in him that Vernon would just walk back in at any time.

The younger’s bed was just as he had left, his entire side of the room, honestly. Mingyu shrugged off his jacket and then took off the rest of his hunting gear. He put on a large t-shirt and shorts and laid in bed.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Mingyu felt his body protest, as if he’d been hit by a truck. He only wanted to rest for a bit before going over everything and organizing his thoughts, but he could barely move.

Mingyu decided the best course would be to just sleep it all over, so he could think more clearly in the morning.

Just as he closed his eyes, sleep took him, and _his_ eyes were there waiting as it had become commonplace.


	7. This road that doesn't seem unfamiliar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the ashes, I rise once more lmao

Seungcheol was struggling to breathe. 

His body was heavy; each movement was labored, as his lungs struggled to fill with air. The floor was slippery and viscous, the smell of blood pungent in the air.

He knew the blood was his. Seungcheol choked as blood filled his mouth.

Everything was so dark and besides his own whimpers of pain, it was silent.

He didn’t even hear the steps before a cold hand gently cradled his cheek, thumb moving over his cheekbone in a soothing manner. When Seungcheol’s vision finally managed to focus, a strangled noise left his chest.

Jeonghan was crouching in front of him, blood dripping from his mouth, the usual gentle expression on his face. Seungcheol couldn’t speak, he could barely breathe; somehow all of this didn’t seem to bother the vampire whatsoever. 

_Oh._

The blood - _his blood_ \- wasn’t just dripping from Jeonghan’s chin; he was _covered_ in it. As if he could hear Seungcheol’s thoughts, Jeonghan smiled, sharp and long fangs in full display.

“Red looks so beautiful on you, my love.” the vampire drawled, his voice like honey.

Seungcheol couldn’t move, much less whip his head out of the vampire’s grasp. All he could do was stare at Jeonghan’s face; dread and fear settling in his gut. His heart hammered away in his chest, his mind becoming more clouded with each passing moment.

_It hurt so much. Why was this happening? How could this happen?_

“Oh, beautiful, it’s just the way that things are. We had a good run, but all good things must come to an end eventually.” Jeonghan continued.

Seungcheol choked again, feeling his eyes stinging. The vampire cooed at him sweetly, easily lifting him into his arms. Jeonghan ruffled his hair before leaning down and bitting hard into his neck.

*

Seungcheol came to screaming. His heart felt like it was about to explode out of his chest. His vision blurred, his head pounded, and he felt sick. Seemingly out of nowhere, hands appeared on his shoulders, and he heard a muffled sound as if he was underwater and someone was trying to speak to him. 

Seungcheol’s vision finally managed to focus, finding Jeonghan looking at him with concern. Instinctively, he shrugged off the vampire’s hold and reached for his gun, only to find it wasn’t there, along with his harness and holster.

“Seungcheol, you’re safe. It’s okay.” Jeonghan whispered before the hunter could find anything else to use to protect himself with.

The hunter’s head quickly whipped to look at the vampire again, but this time he could see the other clearly. As much as the nightmare still clung to the corner of his vision, this Jeonghan wasn’t covered in blood. This Jeonghan was now a few steps away from him - standing not too close to the edge of the bed -, hands firmly at his sides - allowing the hunter to see where they were, so he wouldn’t feel threatened.

However, what had eased Seungcheol further was Jeonghan’s _eyes_. They were oh so warm, and pleading above all else. Unlike the cold and hard edge, they’d had in the nightmare.

Slowly, Seungcheol felt his breathing slow, as well as his heartbeat. 

He was covered in sweat: his hair clinging to his forehead and nape. His hands were still shaking, and his head was still pounding; most likely a sign of his hangover, on top of the adrenaline rush. 

Looking around slowly, he confirmed he was in one of the bedrooms of the manor, and judging from the fact Jeonghan was there as soon as he woke up, it was probably his. The sheets under his shaking hands were soft.

“Seungcheol?” Jeonghan called, tentative.

“Y-Yeah… So-sorry about that… Had a nightmare.” Seungcheol managed.

His throat was really dry. Jeonghan moved closer slowly, testing the waters.

“You don’t have to apologize. How are you feeling?” the vampire asked.

“Like I ate a bucket of sand and someone hit me over the head with a bat.” the hunter rasped with a mirthless laugh.

Jeonghan nodded and then reached for a pitcher of water on the bedside table, pouring a large glass and handling it to Seungcheol. Their fingers quickly brushed, causing the hunter to retract his arm a little too fast. While Jeonghan looked as if he’d not noticed, his eyes became sadder.

Seungcheol cursed himself internally, drinking all the water in one go. Jeonghan refilled his glass, encouraging him to drink more.

“Hydrating yourself will help with the symptoms, but you’ll also need to eat something… Hmm, I’m not sure what foods we still have from the last grocery haul, I’ll have to check.” Jeonghan murmured to himself.

“Don’t worry too much. I can eat when I get home. What time is it?” Seungcheol asked.

“A few minutes before ten in the morning.”

“Alright. Mingyu should be awake already. I’m gonna call him so he can pick me up, I don’t want to impose on you any more than I already have.”

“You are not imposing.” Jeonghan chided, “you can stay for as long as you need.”

Seungcheol looked at him. The vampire looked quite serious, which made the hunter giggle, which earned a brilliant smile from the other. Jeonghan sat down on the bed, then.

“Well, I’ll go see what I can make for you in the kitchen. In the meantime, finish the water and feel free to use the en-suite bathroom. Your gun and other belongings are on my desk.” the vampire stated in a light tone.

Seungcheol nodded. Jeonghan stayed for another couple of seconds, blue eyes scanning over the hunter’s face, seemingly trying to gauge if there was still something wrong. Once satisfied, he smiled at Seungcheol, getting up and exiting the room.

As soon as the door had closed, Seungcheol dropped himself into the soft pillows once more. His head was pounding and his stomach, churring. After a few minutes of questioning all of his life choices - and also vowing to _never_ drink whiskey again -, he slowly got up from the bed.

His bare-feet met a soft cream-colored rug. The room was lit only by a few warm-toned lamps here and there, the strongest one on the desk Jeonghan had mentioned. Seungcheol got up and padded calmly to it. True enough, his holster and gun were carefully set to the side, along with his phone.

As he picked the latter up, the screen lit up, causing him to wince from the harsh white light. As his eyes - _painfully_ -, adjusted, he saw there were a lot of missed messages and calls from his team. _Shit_ , he thought.

Seungcheol unlocked the phone and hit Mingyu’s contact. After three rings, the younger answered.

“ _Hyung! Holy shit I was so worried. Where are you?! Seungkwan and I were ready to send a search party!_ ” Mingyu’s exclaimed.

Seungcheol brought his phone away from his ear, as the other’s yelling made a strong pound resonate on his head. He also heard Seungkwan’s exasperated tone in the back _Mingyu, we were not gonna send a search party, calm down_.

After a long - albeit fond -, sigh, Seungcheol spoke:

“Good morning to you too, Mingyu-yah. I’m still at Jeonghan’s estate, and I called to ask if you could come to pick me up.”

“ _WAIT. You_ slept _there?! I thought you had gone back to your flat or something; Jeonghan-ssi seemed agreeable enough, but I didn’t think you two--_ ”

“There’s no ‘you two’. I just drank too much and ended up passing out. Anyway, come over as soon as you can; and, oh, bring some of Vernon’s things over, would you?” Seungcheol cut him off, feeling a blush bloom across his cheeks.

“ _Alright! I’ll just pack his stuff and will be on my way!_ ” Mingyu said cheerily and hung up.

The older sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

He put the phone back on the desk and went to the bathroom. It was nothing short of what the bathroom in a five-star hotel looked like: white marble, gold-foiling, a massive tub with a spacious shower to the side.

The room had a floral scent that Seungcheol couldn’t quite place besides knowing that was _Jeonghan’s_ smell. He closed the door behind himself and went on about his business. 

After washing his hands in the sink, he looked up at himself in the ornate mirror above it. His eyes were small from squinting due to the migraine, his lips were chapped and his dark hair was a complete mess, even more than usual.

He splashed water onto his face a few times and dries it with a very fluffy and very soft towel. Staring at his reflection once more, he felt less crusty.

Seungcheol returned to the bedroom, to find the main lights on and Jeonghan setting a silver tray with sandwiches and a jar of what looked like orange juice. The vampire had also brought the water pitcher over. Once he was satisfied with the set-up, he turned to beckon Seuncheol to sit with him.

“It’s not much, but it should help appease your hangover a little.” Jeonghan smiled.

The hunter smiled back and picked one of the sandwiches. It was ham and cheese with some butter. His mouth was parched, which made eating difficult; however, the food was delicious, nonetheless. They sat in comfortable silence as the human ate.

Once Seungcheol was done with the food, a good portion of the juice, and all the water, he felt much better. Jeonghan had watched him the whole time, a very fond expression on his face. The hunter felt his face heat up.

“I called Mingyu. He should be here soon, and I asked him to bring some of Vernon’s things over.” Seungcheol stated.

“I see. I was thinking of asking Joshua and Jihoon to go with him to collect his things soon, but now it won’t be necessary.” Jeonghan pondered.

They fell silent once more.

Seungcheol felt _extremely_ awkward. The fact that he had slept over at the vampire’s estate due to being overly inebriated was finally settling in and with it came all kinds of feelings he wasn’t sure he wanted to tap into quite yet.

Jeonghan, however, seemed to be in quite good spirits: there was a lightness to his movements that Seungcheol had never noticed before. Although there was still some hesitation, especially when he came too close to the hunter; probably because of what had happened after Seungcheol woke up.

The human only noticed he had been staring when he met the vampire’s eyes. Jeongahn seemed to be studying him also, his head slightly tipped to the side, making a lonely blond strand sweep in front of his face.

Maybe it had been nerves.

Maybe it had been a distraction.

Or maybe it had been the eerily feeling that had been settling in him for a while now every time Jeonghan and he was in the same enclosed space, _alone_. Easy as anything, Seungcheol reached forward and tucked the loose strand behind Jeonghan’s ear. Not breaking eye contact for even a breath.

Something seemed to pass across the vampire’s eyes, and the hunter caught a twitch in his hand that was on the table. Seeming braver than he actually felt, Seungcheol laid his hand over Jeonghan’s.

The vampire seemed to freeze for a moment. His eyes searched Seungcheol for something, and the hunter simply shrugged, earning a dazzling smile in return.

“You are truly remarkable,” Jeonghan whispered.

Seungcheol felt a blush spread up to the tip of his ears and smiled bashfully.

“I’d have to say the same about you.” the hunter stated.

Jeonghan giggled, bringing Seungcheol’s hand to his lips and leaving a feather-light kiss on the knuckles.


	8. I need your teeth in me

Seungcheol’s new-found bravery wasn’t quite over. He found his mind wondering about a curiosity he’d had for quite some time: _what would happen if a vampire bit him?_ This was something that not many people could give a first-hand report, as most of the people bitten were drained dry, as rogues weren’t known for their restraint.

Seungcheol didn’t believe it was a pleasant experience, as his nightmares often revolved around him being bitten and killed. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but wonder. Fiction usually described it as some euphoric experience for both parties, the human being reduced to a babbling mess, completely at the vampire’s mercy.

The hunter looked at Jeonghan then. The vampire was looking back at him, their hands still intertwined, a fond smile that reached his eyes on his thin lips; sharp fangs nowhere to be seen. Seungcheol knew that vampires would only show their fangs as a deterrent - when threatened -, and when they fed. He’d only ever encountered the former.

“Want to share what you're thinking about?” Jeonghan asked gently, starting to rub circles in the back of the human’s hand.

“I was just… Thinking about what being bitten felt like.” Seungcheol answered honestly.

“Oh? I can’t really say I know what it _truly_ feels like, as I’ve never been bitten myself. However, others have mentioned it to be mostly pleasant. Well, as pleasant as having someone _bite_ you can be, that is.”

“People make it sound like it's an orgasm or something.”

Jeonghan laughed and shrugged.

“I suppose it all depends on the person; however I do believe fiction has blown things out of proportion, as it tends to.” the vampire stated. “Now, do you ask simply because of curiosity, or because you’d like to feel it for yourself?”

Seungcheol paused at that. _Why_ was he asking about it, really? Jeonghan was patiently waiting for him to think about it, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. The hunter had a feeling they both knew where this was going; nevertheless, Jeonghan seemed to want _him_ to make the first move, so there were no misunderstandings.

The human swallowed dryly.

“I guess… I guess I wanted to feel it for myself… So I’m ready in case it happens on the field, of course.” he could feel his ears burning.

A knowing - and very amused - smile spread across Jeonghan’s lips.

“Of course.” he deadpanned, his voice oh so low.

Seungcheol was starting to fidget. He knew Jeonghan wouldn’t move until the hunter asked clearly, _because of course, he wouldn’t_. After a few excruciating moments - in which Jeonghan’s amusement became more and more palpable -, the hunter finally managed to say something.

“Would you help me with that then?”

“If you’re absolutely sure.” the vampire shrugged, but Seungcheol could notice the excitement coiling under the other’s marbled skin.

Seungcheol cleared his throat, willing his heart and nerves to settle.

“I am,” he confirmed, holding Jeonghan’s gaze.

The vampire nodded and got up, taking his time to cross the space between them, and settle behind Seungcheol’s chair. His hands then lightly fell on the hunter’s shoulders.

“How would you like to do this, then?” Jeonghan asked.

“Just get at my neck… The gear shirts all have more fabric in the neck area so it should be covered nicely.” Seungcheol answered.

“Very well.”

Jeonghan’s hand moved up to pull back the human’s gear collar, leaving an expanse of light skin exposed. Seungcheol heard the other make a surprised huff, which confused him.

_Oh._

The hunter remembered that he was wearing the very same necklace the other had given him as proof of his goodwill. As much as Seungcheol would like to deny it, he’d been wearing the accessory more and more often, almost as some kind of good-luck charm; however, above all, he’d never admit that the piece of jewelry seemed to help his nerves settle whenever he was particularly anxious.

The human could feel his face burning in embarrassment.

Not soon after, Jeonghan’s hand settled on his neck and his thumb began making circular motions, the hunter’s breath catching in his throat. The vampire leaned down and whispered in the human’s ear:

“If you wish me to stop at any time, say so. Understand?”

Seungcheol swallowed thickly and nodded, but Jeonghan tutted at him.

“Use your words, Seungcheol.”

“Yes, I understand.” the hunter voiced, surprised at his own leveled voice.

The vampire seemed satisfied and returned to his ministrations. Cold lips pressed to the juncture of his neck and shoulders in a deliberate kiss, and Seungcheol would have jolted, if Jeonghan’s other arm wasn’t holding him by the waist to keep him in place. And so, after a few more moments, Jeonghan bit down hard, breaking the soft skin.

Seungcheol gasped from the sudden pain. He could feel his blood being languidly drained at first, but soon Jeonghan was drinking deeper and faster, his hand around the human’s torso tightening it’s grip, while the one on the neck moved to hold Seungcheol’s neck in an angle.

The hunter felt mostly discomfort at first, but soon his neck became numb. A few minutes passed until he began to feel _something_ settling over his body. Seungcheol couldn’t really process what was happening; he could only feel his body relaxing more and more, as a calm bliss settled over his muscles and bones.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed in total; however, just as he began feeling light-headed, Jeonghan let him go, licking over the wound a few times, making sure not a single drop would go to waste.

Seungcheol opened his eyes slowly, as he felt Jeonghan scratching his scalp soothingly. He turned in his chair to look at the vampire; there was no blood morbidly dripping from his chin, but his lips were a deep scarlet color, and the tips of his fangs were peeking from his top lip. His smile was dazzling and ever so fond.

Jeonghan’s cheeks were flushed, the dark veins much less pronounced on his skin. His crystal-like eyes were much, much darker, his pupils blown, almost taking over his irises completely. The light from the ceiling shone behind his head, creating a halo around his head.

Seungcheol had a really hard time trying to grasp just how _breathtakingly_ beautiful Jeonghan was.

“How are you feeling?” the vampire murmured softly.

“I’m alright, I guess. Don’t think I’ve ever been this relaxed in my life.” Seungcheol laughed airly.

The vampire laughed as well, but before he could reply, Joshua barged through the door, looking as if he’d fallen out of bed and had only bothered to - bergrudgedly -, put on a robe.

“What the hell are you doing?! The bell has been going off for _fifteen minutes_ now!” he all but yelled.

Seungcheol and Jeonghan looked at each other, sharing a smile.

*

Wonwoo was awakened by the shrill sound of the door-bell.

At first, the sound was distant and Wonwoo thought he’d just imagined it, or maybe it happened in his dreams. But as the sound persisted, and the more awake he became, there was no mistaking the house’s door-bell going off in short intervals.

Mechanically, he sat up, picked his glasses from the nightstand, put them on, checked the black-out curtains, and confirmed it was still day-time, and finally sighed, cursing loudly.

He got up and didn’t even bother to throw on his robe before getting out of the room. He blurred down the corridor and the stairs, stopping at the front door and opening it.

Kim Mingyu almost jumped back, surprised. He was wearing casual sporty clothes as if he’d just come back from a run. However, the light-blue VW-beetle gave away that he’d driven up to the estate. The hunter had a backpack and two duffel bags, which caused Wonwoo to arch a perfect brow in question.

“Uh... Hi… Hi! I came to pick up my hyung… And I brought Vernon’s stuff over too!” he stammered, his voice a little too high.

Wonwoo looked him up and down once more, and then moved to let him inside. Mingyu muttered a quick _thanks_ as he walked past the vampire, who closed the door behind him.

As they got to the living room, and before Wonwoo could say anything, Choi Seungcheol came down the stairs with - a very _healthy-looking_ , the younger vampire noticed - Jeonghan. His sire looked at him apologetically and Wonwoo just rolled his eyes, he also noticed Joshua was on the balcony looking disheveled.

 _At least it wasn’t just me who woke up…_ Wonwoo thought.

Mingyu handed his bags to Jeonghan, who said he’d give them to Vernon later, all the while Seungcheol looked pretty aloof. Wonwoo didn’t remember much of how he’d felt from Jeonghan feeding from him - as he’d only done it to then turn him -, however, it was quite obvious that the lead hunter was swimming through the effects of the eldest’s venom.

“Well, I guess we’ll be going now. Thank you for everything.” Mingyu said, politely bowing to Jeonghan and Wonwoo.

Seungcheol whispered his thanks as the younger hunter dragged him by the hand back to the vestibule. Jeonghan gestured for Wonwoo to go open the door for them, and so he went. Before leaving, Mingyu turned to him and paused for a second. The vampire could all but hear the cogs turning in his mind until he finally managed to say:

“Would you… Would you like to go out with me?”

Wonwoo stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Would you like to go out with me?” Mingyu repeated, more firmly this time, as he probably thought Wonwoo hadn’t heard him.

The vampire blinked a few times, his brain trying to process the human’s request. Maybe it was because of the early hour of the day, or maybe it was the warmth that seemed to take hold of Wonwoo’s gut every time he’d laid eyes on the young hunter. Whatever it was, the vampire simply said:

“Uh, sure I guess. What time do you get off-duty today?”

“WHAT?! Really?!” Mingyu exclaimed in disbelief, but quickly tried to compose himself, “I’m not on shift today so any time is fine!”

“I’ll meet you at eight in front of the Sect then, we can go out to eat in the city. Sounds good?”

“Sounds great! See you later then!” The human’s smile was more blinding than the sunlight outside.

“Uh-huh.” Wonwoo managed to say.

Mingyu happily waved him good-bye and went to join Seungcheol in the car. Wonwoo waited until the blue beetle disappeared down the hill. He blinked a few more times before going inside.

He had _a date_.

He had a date _with a hunter_.

What the fuck had just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was ok ;-;

**Author's Note:**

> I might not know what I'm doing, but I regret nothing lol  
> Comments, kudos and what-nots are always appreciated :3  
> (if you wanna yell at me you can find me at: @Aunt_Naty on twt)  
> Yours truly, Naty.


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